Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum lauds call with Trump to address trade deficit

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday praised a recent phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting an agreement aimed at improving the trade balance between the two nations.

Describing the conversation as "positive," Sheinbaum noted that both administrations are committed to working together to enhance trade conditions. "We agreed that the Secretaries of Finance and Treasury, as well as the Secretaries of Economy and Trade, will continue working in the coming days on alternatives to improve our trade balance and advance on pending issues for the benefit of both countries," she said in a statement on X.

Sheinbaum explained that Trump's administration is focused on reducing the trade deficit with Mexico, which has historically favored Mexican exports. "What the United States government is very interested in is reducing the deficit — what they call the deficit with Mexico — and for some time now, we have been proposing that we look for ways, across the entire economy, to increase purchases from the United States," she added.

Despite facing a wave of economic policies targeting foreign trade, Mexico has largely avoided Trump’s threatened tariffs on its exports. However, the U.S. president continues to hold Mexico accountable for the ongoing trade imbalance.

Trump's second-term economic policies have been characterized by the use of tariffs, aimed at reversing longstanding trade deficits with key partners such as Mexico, which is now the U.S.'s largest trading partner. According to recent data from January 2025, the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico stood at $13.7 billion, fueled by a 9.5% rise in Mexican exports to the U.S. compared to a 5.3% increase in U.S. exports to Mexico.

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