Mexico admits limited leverage in US tariff‑free trade talks and readies defence against forced‑labour duties

Mexico’s economy secretary Marcelo Ebrard told reporters that Mexico can no longer pursue a duty‑free trade regime with the United States because it lacks the economic weight to compel Washington. He said the U.S. is moving to a tariff system that depends on the location of production, and Mexico’s strategy will be to keep its exports cheaper than those from Vietnam, Indonesia, China, South Korea and Japan.

At the same time, the Mexican secretariat said it is preparing a response to a U.S. proposal that would impose a 10 % tariff on Mexican goods linked to forced labour. Mexico will present arguments to the U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) during the T‑MEC review, emphasizing that the measure has not yet been adopted and that a 45‑day consultation period is required. The proposal would also affect Canada, Ecuador, the EU, Indonesia and Pakistan, with a higher 12.5 % rate for countries lacking any anti‑forced‑labour measures.