Trump Extends Mexico Tariffs for 90 Days Amid Talks

Washington / Mexico City — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he would extend existing 25% tariffs on Mexican goods not covered by the USMCA trade agreement for an additional 90 days, citing the “complexities” of bilateral relations. The decision follows a phone call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, which Trump described as “very fruitful.”

Tariff Extension and Negotiations

In a post on his social media platform, Truth, Trump stated that the extension would maintain the current tariff structure while negotiations continue. “We have agreed to extend, for 90 days, exactly the same agreement we had during the previous short period,” he wrote. “Mexico will continue to pay a 25% tariff on fentanyl, a 25% tariff on automobiles, and a 50% tariff on steel, aluminum, and copper.”

The announcement came just hours before the August 1 deadline, when new tariffs were set to take effect on imports from countries that had not reached trade agreements with the U.S. Trump attributed the delay to the unique challenges posed by the U.S.-Mexico relationship, particularly border issues.

USMCA and Ongoing Trade Pressures

A significant portion of trade between the two nations remains protected under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), signed in 2020 during Trump’s first term. However, the agreement has faced mounting pressure since his return to the White House, with the president repeatedly accusing Mexico of insufficient efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking—a key driver of the U.S. opioid crisis.

Trump also claimed that Mexico had agreed to “immediately eliminate numerous non-tariff trade barriers.” He added, “We will speak with Mexico over the next 90 days with the goal of signing a trade agreement within that timeframe, or even sooner.”

Economic Impact

Mexico remains the United States’ top trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding $219 billion in the first five months of 2025—a 6% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Despite Trump’s protectionist policies, Mexico’s economy has shown resilience, posting 0.7% GDP growth in the second quarter of 2025, driven by industrial activity and services.

Key Figures in Negotiations

The call between Trump and Sheinbaum included several high-ranking U.S. officials, among them Vice President J.D. Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative and Ambassador Jamieson Greer, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, and National Security Advisor Stephen Miller.

Bessent, Lutnick, and Greer have led tariff negotiations with multiple nations, while Miller has been a central figure in shaping the administration’s hardline immigration policies.