() – President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he had a “productive conversation” with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, their first conversations since Trump announced tariffs against the United States’ southern neighbor.
“I just had a wonderful conversation with the new president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. She agreed to stop migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border. We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive entry of drugs into the United States, and also, American consumption of these drugs. It was a very productive conversation!” Trump published in Truth Social.
The call comes after Trump promised to impose a 25% tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada, and in his comments Wednesday, Trump did not say whether he would keep the promise or if anything Sheinbaum had said addressed your concerns.
Sheinbaum said Wednesday that he had an “excellent” conversation, although he framed the content of the conversation with Trump differently, and did not immediately outline any new policy to avoid the tariffs, focusing instead on Mexico’s existing strategy for dealing with to the migration crisis.
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“We also talked about strengthening collaboration on security issues within the framework of our sovereignty and the campaign we are carrying out in the country to prevent the consumption of fentanyl,” he wrote this Wednesday.
Trump promised this Monday massive increases in tariffs on products from Mexico, Canada and China starting on the first day of his administration. The measure, Trump said, will be in retaliation for illegal immigration and “crime and drugs” that come across the border.
“On January 20, as one of my many first executive orders, I will sign all the necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% tariff on ALL products arriving in the United States, and their ridiculous Open Borders,” Trump posted on its Truth Social platform. “This tariff will remain in place until drugs, particularly fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!”
Sheinbaum was not the only leader who reached out to Trump after his promise on tariffs.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trump shortly after his social media post on Monday, an official in the prime minister’s office said. The brief call focused on border security and trade, a senior Canadian government source told . They called the call productive and said Trudeau and Trump promised to stay in touch in the coming days.
In response to Trump’s announcement, Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said his country was in communication with the United States about counternarcotics operations and that “the idea that China knowingly allows fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States United goes completely against facts and reality.”
‘s David Goldman and Paula Newton contributed to this report.
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