Mexico wants a trade agreement with the US, if possible before the congressional election

Mexico's government is trying to conclude an economic agreement with Washington before the congressional election on 3 November. President Claudia Sheinbaum said this on 28 October at her morning press conference, according to Infobae and El Imparcial.

The talks. At issue is the review of the North American free trade agreement T-MEC (USMCA in the US). According to Infobae, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard spoke a few days earlier with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ambassador Ronald Johnson. They are examining whether an agreement before the election is feasible. On non-tariff trade barriers almost everything has been resolved, Sheinbaum said. What remains open above all is a significant reduction of the US Section 232 tariffs on cars, steel and aluminum.

The election. According to Infobae, Sheinbaum does not see the election as a risk to the negotiations. Work with the US will continue regardless of the outcome. In view of shifting signals from Washington that an agreement is imminent, she advised “mucha paciencia y serenidad”, that is, a lot of patience and calm, according to El Imparcial. Trump is also campaigning this week, she said.

The statements come from press reports. The official transcript of the press conference could not yet be consulted. How people in Mexico view the US is in the Pew survey under Reports.