Rubio talks tariffs with Mexican counterpart!
tariffs
Washington, Aug 26 (EFE).-
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Wednesday with Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs Roberto Velasco to discuss issues of mutual interest. The meeting coincided with ongoing negotiations to reach a trade agreement between the two countries and avoid further tariffs.
Minutes before their closed-door meeting, Rubio and Velasco smiled for the cameras and declined to answer reporters’ questions about the current tariff war between the US and Canada.
The trade war calls into question the future of the USMCA free trade agreement, which was signed by the three neighboring nations in 2018.
Velasco arrived in Washington after a two-day visit to South Korea to “hold various meetings on priority issues on the bilateral agenda,” beginning with his meeting with Rubio.
On Jun. 8, the two foreign ministers held a telephone conversation in which they reviewed cooperation on security, migration, and trade in a “very cordial, very respectful” atmosphere, according to Velasco.
The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Velasco met with Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg. They discussed opportunities for collaboration in innovation, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and supply chains.
During a subsequent meeting with Troy Edgar, the Under Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, the Mexican foreign minister emphasized to him the importance to his government of “cases related to the deaths of Mexican nationals,” in light of the controversial death in July of a migrant who was shot by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
According to a statement from the Mexican government, the officials also discussed “bilateral cooperation to address migration flows.”
The meeting occurred one day after the US announced the extradition of 10 individuals wanted by Mexican authorities for serious crimes.
The Mexican foreign minister was in Washington at the same time as Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, who arrived in the US capital to negotiate an agreement to avoid further tariffs.
As of Monday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that she remains optimistic that an agreement can be reached this week.
The bilateral dialogue comes amid escalating tensions between Canada and the US, which followed the breakdown of trade negotiations and the implementation of 50 percent tariffs on approximately 20 billion dollars worth of Canadian goods over the weekend. In response, Ottawa announced retaliatory measures of the same magnitude, which will take effect on Sep. 8. EFE
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