U.S. and Mexican officials are moving toward a possible trade agreement after President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke Wednesday, although sources offered differing assessments of how the conversation unfolded.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — Negotiations between the United States and Mexico are moving forward following a Wednesday phone conversation between President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, with another round of formal trade discussions now scheduled for Sept. 28-29.
The two governments have spent months negotiating issues connected to the review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, including tariffs, automobile trade, steel and aluminum, agriculture, labor and broader economic security. Official U.S. statements from earlier negotiating rounds confirm those subjects have been central to the talks.
People familiar with Wednesday’s presidential call offered different descriptions of its tone, according to Politico.
One person familiar with the conversation, who was not identified because the individual was discussing the private call, described it as “so-so” and said additional matters introduced during the discussion complicated the negotiations.
That person did not identify those issues or indicate whether they were raised by Washington or Mexico City.
A U.S. official, also speaking anonymously, disputed the suggestion that the conversation had gone poorly and characterized it as “constructive.”
“U.S.-Mexico talks are active and continue to move in a positive direction. Any notion that the call didn’t go well is wrong,” the official said.
Reuters separately reported Thursday that Trump and Sheinbaum had spoken as the two governments continued negotiations toward a trade agreement.
Mexican officials entered the call believing the two sides were nearing completion of an agreement addressing U.S. concerns involving the USMCA, according to the person familiar with the discussion cited by Politico.
The next negotiating round is now planned for Sept. 28-29, one week later than previously scheduled. The Wall Street Journal first reported the scheduling change Wednesday.
The negotiations build on several rounds held earlier this year.
In July, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said their teams had discussed economic security, labor, agriculture, electronic payment services, steel and aluminum products and automobiles. Greer also met with Sheinbaum during that round, and both governments directed their negotiating teams to return for another session in Washington in September.
Earlier rounds addressed automotive rules of origin, industrial goods, trade barriers and measures intended to strengthen North American supply chains.
The talks are taking place as Mexico seeks relief from U.S. tariffs affecting some of its most important export industries.
Sheinbaum said earlier this month that her government wants Washington to reduce tariffs on Mexican steel, aluminum and automobiles. She also reiterated that Mexico wants the trilateral North American agreement to remain intact despite separate trade tensions between the United States and Canada. Mexico’s presidency documented those positions in Sheinbaum’s Sept. 9 remarks.
“We want the three countries to remain in a trade agreement,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico is seeking “better trade conditions,” she added, while maintaining that her government would not accept an agreement that damages the country’s sovereignty or economy.
Sheinbaum has consistently argued for preserving the broader North American trade framework. In July, her government said it expected the USMCA structure to continue while Mexico pursued improved terms and stronger regional production.
Washington, meanwhile, has pressed Mexico on issues including regional content requirements, economic security and the treatment of goods and investment originating outside North America. U.S. officials have said their objective is to ensure the trade agreement primarily benefits the three participating countries and their workers and businesses.
Neither the White House nor the Mexican Embassy immediately responded to Politico’s requests for comment about the specifics of Wednesday’s call.
The conflicting characterizations of the Trump-Sheinbaum conversation leave some details unresolved, but both governments remain engaged in negotiations, with the Sept. 28-29 meetings providing the next opportunity to resolve outstanding issues in the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship.
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