The table is on fire
The Business Coordinating Council has just dropped a bombshell: the T-MEC negotiations are in their most complicated phase. And the culprit has a first and last name: the United States’ position on tariffs.
José Medina Mora, president of the organization, said it without anesthesia. “The American position has been more rigid than expected”. Translation: Washington comes with everything and does not plan to let up.
“A total elimination of tariffs is not foreseen”
There you have it. The dream of unrestricted free trade is fading in the face of reality. The gringo representatives swear that they do not want to abandon the treaty, but they maintain their tariffs as if they were family heirlooms.
The cost of rigidity
Medina Mora has already met with Jamieson Greer, the US trade representative. The agenda was clear: explain how tariffs are affecting regional competitiveness. Spoiler alert: things are not looking good.
The curious thing is the doublespeak. On the one hand they talk about dialogue, on the other they maintain immovable positions. The Mexican private sector insists on its rejection of the tariffs, but it seems that no one is listening.
The conversations continue, yes. But they warn: it will be a long process and full of obstacles. When both sides come with firm positions, final agreements become more complicated than a Rubik’s cube.
This is how we are: negotiating with someone who says they want to play as a team but keeps the best cards under the table.
