Mexico hits back at US after Trump's decision to impose tariffs

Mexico City, Feb 2 (IANS) In response to former US President Donald Trump's imposition of a 25 per cent tariff on Mexican imports, Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced counter-tariffs on American goods, further escalating trade tensions between the two nations.

Rejecting allegations from the White House that her administration has ties to criminal organisations, Sheinbaum shifted the blame onto the US, accusing American arms dealers of supplying weapons to illicit groups.

"If any alliances exist, they are in the United States' weapons industry, which sells high-powered firearms to these criminal groups, as the US Department of Justice itself confirmed in January this year," she asserted.

Sheinbaum firmly stated that Mexico would not accept any form of foreign interference. "We outright reject the White House's baseless claims that the Mexican government is aligned with criminal organisations, as well as any attempt to intervene in our country's affairs," she declared.

Stressing the importance of diplomacy, Sheinbaum emphasised Mexico's preference for cooperation over conflict.

"We advocate for collaboration between neighbouring nations. Our efforts must be based on shared responsibility, mutual trust, and respect for sovereignty, which is non-negotiable. Coordination, yes; subordination, no," she posted on X.

Responding to Trump's accusations that Mexico has failed to control fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration, Sheinbaum highlighted her government's extensive anti-drug efforts.

She reported that in just four months, Mexican authorities had seized over 40 tons of illicit drugs, including 20 million doses of fentanyl, and arrested more than 10,000 individuals associated with drug cartels.

Sheinbaum slammed US authorities for their inadequate response to the fentanyl crisis, arguing that the epidemic is largely a domestic issue.

"If US agencies truly wanted to address fentanyl consumption in their country, they could focus on dismantling street-level drug networks, which they fail to do, and disrupting the money laundering operations that finance this illegal trade," she stated.

Additionally, Sheinbaum pointed to the role of American pharmaceutical companies in fueling the opioid crisis, blaming regulatory shortcomings.

"The synthetic opioid epidemic in the US originates from the indiscriminate prescription of such drugs, authorised by the FDA, as evidenced by legal actions against pharmaceutical firms," she remarked.