President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he would exempt Mexico from tariffs on goods under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) until April 2.
He announced the extension in a post to Truth Social following a conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.
“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement,” Trump wrote. “This Agreement is until April 2nd. I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border, both in terms of stopping Illegal Aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping Fentanyl. Thank you to President Sheinbaum for your hard work and cooperation!”
Sheinbaum Pardo thanked Trump for the extension in a post to X.
“Many thanks to President Donald Trump. We had an excellent and respectful call in which we agreed that our work and collaboration have yielded unprecedented results, within the framework of respect for our sovereignties,” she wrote in Spanish, according to a translation by Grok. “We will continue working together, particularly on issues of migration and security, which include reducing the illegal crossing of fentanyl into the United States, as well as weapons into Mexico. As President Trump mentions, Mexico will not be required to pay tariffs on all those products within the T-MEC. This agreement is until April 2, when the United States will announce reciprocal tariffs for all countries.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo holds a briefing where she talked about the tariffs brought by President Donald Trump at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, on March 5, 2025. (Carlos Santiago/Eyepix Group/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
A White House official told Fox News that, “President Sheinbaum presented President Trump with tangible evidence that there’s been [an] increase in fentanyl seizures in the last 30 days and demonstrated real commitment to focus on curtailing cartels and drug trafficking.”
Trump said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s efforts to crack down on fentanyl trafficking aren’t “good enough” to stave off his 25% tariffs after a call with the Canadian leader. Trump accused Trudeau of trying to use the trade war as a way to stay in power.
Ontario’s Premier accused Trump of not understanding the supply chain “and how we’re integrated” on Fox News’ Special Report.
Following a call with Trump, the “Big Three” automakers – Stellantis, Ford, and General Motors – were granted a one-month exemption from the tariffs that went into effect Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced.
Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the administration’s approach, which some have seen as “two steps forward, one step back.” On Fox News, Lutnick noted the actions the tariffs have elicited from our northern and southern neighbors: “Does that sound like a foot off the gas? That sounds like a foot on the chest.”
Trudeau, meanwhile, said Thursday that Canada “will continue to be in a trade war that was launched by the United States for the foreseeable future.”
Speaking to reporters in Ottowa, Trudeau said that he had a “colorful” and “very substantive” call with Trump on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference about the U.S. tariffs against Canada on March 4, 2025, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“We are … trying to make sure that these tariffs don’t overly harm, certainly in the short term, certain sectors,” Trudeau said Thursday. “Any carve outs that support any workers in Canada, even if it’s just one industry or another, are going to be a good thing.”
Trudeau, who is expected to step down when the Liberal Party selects a new leader on Sunday, added: “A win-lose between us would actually be worse for them than a win-win. That’s true in international trade, in relations between nation states… It perhaps is not true in real estate deals, a win-lose is probably better for someone who is experienced in business deals than a win-win.”
