'We reject White House’s slander': Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum orders retaliatory tariffs against US

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Sunday that she had directed her economy minister to introduce tariff and non-tariff measures in response to new US tariffs on Mexican goods.

This comes after US President Donald Trump signed an order imposing tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China. The decision has raised concerns about inflation and business disruptions across North America. Both Mexico and Canada have indicated they will respond with countermeasures.

Sheinbaum stated in a post on X that Mexico aims for cooperation and dialogue rather than conflict with the US government. Mexico president also called Trump's claim of cartel alliance 'slander'.

"We categorically reject the White House’s slander that the Mexican government has alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of meddling in our territory,” Sheinbaum wrote.



She also addressed fentanyl trafficking, a key issue in US-Mexico relations.

“If the United States government and its agencies wanted to address the serious fentanyl consumption in their country, they could fight the sale of drugs on the streets of their major cities, which they don’t do and the laundering of money that this illegal activity generates that has done so much harm to its population,” she said.

Sheinbaum highlighted her government’s efforts since she took office in October, including the seizure of 20 million doses of fentanyl and the detention of over 10,000 individuals linked to drug trafficking.

The tariffs have created uncertainty in trade relations between the US, Mexico, and Canada, the three largest economies in North America.