Mexico reiterates its stand against proposal steel & aluminium quotas; demands removal of tariffs

Mexico’s Deputy Economy Minister Luz Maria de la Mora said to reporters on Monday that they are against the proposed steel and aluminium quotas and demanded complete removal of tariffs on those products under U.S. Section 232. He insisted that the tariffs cannot be replaced by any quota system.

"The Mexican government's position is that the application of the 232 on steel and aluminum is not justified," he said to the reporters.

Mexico has been consistently fighting against the tariffs claiming that they are damaging the trade equation in North America.

On March 12, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said that the US is working on a plan to lift tariffs from Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminium. However, they wish to continue with the gains that U.S. domestic producers have made from the duties so far.

A new trade deal between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico (USMCA) that replaced NAFTA was signed by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump in November during G20 summit in Buenos Aires.  Despite the renegotiations, no solution has been reached yet on removal of the Section 232 tariffs on Mexico and Canada.