Ebrard will meet with US trade representatives on Thursday to avoid tariffs

Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard will travel to Washington DC on Thursday to continue negotiations with his U.S. counterparts to avoid tariffs on Mexican goods.

The official will meet Thursday afternoon with Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, following his ratification by the U.S. Senate , the agency said in a fact sheet.

On Friday, Ebrard will have a new meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

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Congratulations Jamieson on your confirmation as US Trade Representative, see you tomorrow in Washington!!! Best Wishes!!

Congratulations Jamieson on your ratification as U.S. Trade Representative, see you tomorrow in Washington!!! Best wishes!!

— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) February 26, 2025

"The objective of these meetings is to continue the dialogue and trade negotiations between Mexico and the United States," the ministry said.

He added that the Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez, is already in Washington DC , leading the Mexican team.

" Mexico is promoting an understanding with the United States based on the premise that bilateral trade, under the USMCA, has been beneficial for both nations and that the Mexican and U.S. economies are deeply integrated," the agency said.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Trump said the planned 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada would go into effect on April 2 if the two countries demonstrate progress on their border by March 4, the date initially planned.

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Asked about the entry into force of these taxes, he answered at the first cabinet meeting of his mandate : “On April 2.” “For Mexico and Canada? ” a journalist asked him. “Correct. And for everything.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said there is currently a “ pause ” until March 4 on tariffs planned for those two countries over fentanyl trafficking and immigration at the border, and that if they demonstrate that they have done “an excellent job,” another pause is likely.

“The big transaction as a whole is on April 2, but as far as fentanyl is concerned, they are working hard on the border. At the end of those 30 days, they have to prove to the president that they have satisfied him on that. If they have, there will be a pause,” he said.

Trump added that he does not intend to stop the tariffs and recalled that although the planned date was April 1, April Fool's Day in the United States, he delayed it by a day because he is "a little superstitious."

“The tariffs continue, not all of them, but a lot of them. They have taken advantage of us as a country over a long period of time. They have put tariffs on us and we have not done so,” the Republican leader said.

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The tariffs on Mexico and Canada were set to take effect on March 4, after being postponed for a month after those two countries agreed to increase border controls to curb migration and fentanyl flows.

The tariffs that had been announced for April 2 are those intended for the automobile sector.

That plan, announced Feb. 14, came a day after he signed a memorandum to impose “ reciprocal tariffs ” on countries that tax U.S. goods , with the goal of matching the tariffs those nations place on U.S. exports .

(With information from EFE)