Any decision related to the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) must be the result of in-depth negotiations and dialogue, as has been established in previous bilateral talks. José de Jesús Rodríguez Cárdenas, president of the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Mexico City (Canaco), expressed his confidence that an indiscriminate increase in tariffs will not be implemented, since this would affect both the Mexican and the American economy.
During the 1st Mediation and Arbitration Center Forum organized by Canaco CDMX, Rodríguez Cárdenas commented that the board of directors of the chamber held a meeting to evaluate the issue, which has generated concern in various sectors. “Donald Trump is fulfilling a speech and posing a threat, but there is a long road from the approach to its execution within the framework of the T-MEC,” he stressed.
Mexico has established itself as the main commercial partner of the United States, especially in a context of geopolitical tensions with China, which makes it a key ally for the American economy. “They cannot harm themselves; we are their largest supplier, and any trade disruption with Mexico would generate an inflationary impact in the United States,” he emphasized.
Alejandro Murat Hinojosa, president of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, highlighted during the opening of the forum at Expo Reforma that this situation represents an opportunity to address one of the pending issues in the trade relationship through the T-MEC: labor mobility. “The large migratory flows must become a mutual benefit for both nations,” he said.
Likewise, Murat stressed that the relationship between Mexico and the United States is unique due to their proximity and the close interconnection of their economies. Both show stability and a promising outlook for growth for next year. “We must not rush, but focus on the greatness of the relationship that unites Mexico, the United States and Canada,” he concluded.
Local actions
The National Chamber of Commerce (Canaco) of Mexico City has established dialogue tables with the Head of Government, Clara Brugada, and her cabinet, with the aim of preventing the gentrification of commerce in the historic center of the capital. According to José de Jesús Rodríguez Cárdenas, president of the local Canaco, companies of Asian origin are displacing businesses that are more than six decades old, which represents a negative impact for the Mexican economy.
Rodríguez Cárdenas pointed out that, although foreign products enter the country legally, some do so under commercial dumping practices, generating unfair competition. “It cannot be that a pair of shoes is sold for 60 or 150 pesos; this harms not only the Mexican industry and employment, but also the health of consumers,” he warned.
In addition, he highlighted that many of these companies use buildings without adequate civil protection conditions as warehouses and sell products that do not comply with environmental or safety standards for users. “We continue to demand that the authorities review these products, and if they comply, they will be welcomed into the competition,” he added.
Although no country in particular is pointed out, Rodríguez Cárdenas stressed that, although there is a long-standing diplomatic and commercial relationship with China, there is currently an imbalance in the entry of products that do not comply with the necessary regulations. “It is a situation that we must address to protect the national industry and guarantee the well-being of consumers,” he concluded.
