Latinos have spoken about new taxes allocated to exports bound by the US in Mexico, and more.
Sinbaum previously declared that Mexico would retaliate against new US tariffs at a press conference on March 4th.
“The unilateral decisions made by the United States have an impact on domestic and foreign companies operating in our country and affecting our people. For this reason, we have decided to respond with both tariff and non-tariff measures,” Sinbaum said.
The Mexican head of state announced more details on March 9, saying that he would announce “no one will win” with US tariffs.
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Mexican residents, public figures and other politicians have condemned Trump’s new tariffs and the potential for a trade war with the United States to come.
Mexican business Mogul Riccardo Benjamin Salinas Priego said he opposes the potential use of retaliatory tariffs against the United States.
Some Mexican politicians are responsible for their country’s leadership for not taking a stronger stance on drug trafficking and organized crime.
Sen. Lily Telles criticized Sinbaum for delaying action, claiming Trump’s tariffs were the result of a Mexican government’s “agreement with drug traffickers.”
(Left) Mexican President Claudia Sinbaum listens to questions at the National Palace in Mexico City on November 6, 2024. (Right) President Donald Trump will speak in the Eastern Room of the White House in Washington on January 29, 2025. Alfredo Estrella, Pedro Ugarte/AFP via Getty Images
Lewis also criticized Shainbaum’s decision to delay action to protect Mexican businesses. She said Mexico needs to diversify its exports and strengthen its commercial ties with other countries.
Lewis also said her country needs to provide financial support and guidance to small and medium-sized export companies.
Carlos Hernandez, owner of an Oaxaca auto store, told the Epoch Times he doesn’t expect businesses in his hometown to feel the impact of US tariffs as quickly as northern states like Sonora, who work in the copper industry.
But he believes it’s only a matter of time before everyone is affected in any way.
“Both sides feel the (economic) effect of US tariffs, but Mexico will suffer from the worst,” Hernandez said.
He said an estimated 83% of Mexican exports are bound by the US, so the new import duties would reduce profit margins and product competitiveness.
Olihuela added that US tariffs will result in a decline in local jobs related to Mexican exports and those industries.
Hernandez expects that if the Mexican president “backs” US items with tax, the prices of some things will rise. “It’s going to move towards everyone at some point on the ladder. We could be in real trouble,” he said.
Other Mexican residents worry that the potential economic downturn caused by Trump’s tariffs could give drug cartels the opportunity to strengthen their national grip.
“The last thing this country needs is a trade war with the United States,” Renata Aguilar, a former boutique hotel owner who has retired and lives near Mexico City, told the Epoch Times.
Aguilar said the average Mexican family cannot survive the economic recession financially.
Poor rural areas lacking employment opportunities are the way cartels like the new generation of Sinaloa and Jalisco have historically gained traction.
On January 5, 2023, a truck burned on the streets of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, causing gunfights and obstacles after security forces captured Obigio Guzman, the son of former Sinaloan cartel boss El Chapo Guzman. Martin Urista/AP Photo
“We’ve already seen how bad it is for the cartels and how many people work for them. How bad will it be if there are no more jobs?” Aguilar asked.
“The cartel offers an attractive alternative to many Mexican men who have little chance of achieving social mobility and earning a decent salary,” the study states.
Since taking office in January, Trump has informed Canada and Mexico that tariffs have come due to “an extraordinary threat.”
The official fact sheet also said the Mexican government has provided “refuge” to cartels involved in manufacturing and transporting drugs to the United States.
The weight of other leaders
Other countries in Latin America are preparing countermaubes if Trump decides to implement more tariffs in the region.
“I heard he is going to tax Brazilian steel. If so, Brazil will respond commercially and condemn the measures to the World Trade Organization…or impose tariffs on American products we import,” the Brazilian president is commonly known as Rula.
Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva will speak during the opening of the National Construction Industry Conference held in Brasilia, Brazil on November 26, 2024. Adriano Machado/Reuters
Lula added that if Trump takes any action to impose tariffs on Brazil, his administration will respond in kind. “There’s definitely reciprocity.”
On February 13, the White House declared the United States as one of the “most open economy in the world,” but suffered from a closed market for many of its exports.
“This lack of interaction is unfair and contributes to our large, sustained annual trade deficit,” the release states.
Meanwhile, Argentine President Javier Mairay praised Trump’s mutual tariff plans in Latin America.
Mairay said he wanted to ensure that Argentina will become “the first country to participate in this reciprocal agreement the Trump administration is sought on trade issues.”
