Trump Has 'Cordial' First Call with Mexican President Sheinbaum After Tariff Threats

President-elect Donald Trump had a phone call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum two days after winning the election. The call, which comes just a few days after Trump pledged to impose tariffs on Mexican imports if Sheinbaum did not take steps to reduce immigration to the U.S. border if elected, was described by the Mexican president as "very cordial."

"We had a very cordial call with President-elect Donald Trump in which we talked about the good relationship that there will be between Mexico and the United States," President Sheinbaum posted on X following the call.

Trump first revealed his plan to impose tariffs on Mexican products in an election eve-rally in North Carolina. He promised the crowd an initial tariff of 25%, which he said would raise periodically if Mexico did not provide his desired results, adding that his plan had a "100% chance of working."

"If that doesn't work, I'll raise them to 50%, and if that doesn't work, I'll increase them to 75% for the tough ones, and I'll raise them to 100%," he said.

When questioned about Trump's tariff threats in one of her daily news conferences, Sheinbaum said, "I don't think these statements are helpful; we are prepared. Mexico is strong on these issues—through dialogue, we hope instead for a collaborative process. And if not, we'll face it—we're prepared for it and with great unity," he stated.

Sheinbaum, who is a Nobel prize-winning climate scientist and Mexico's first female president, sent the incoming U.S. leader a congratulatory letter on Wednesday and asked him for "dialogue and respect for sovereignty."

Mexico is the United State's top trade partner, and vice versa. Per data from the U.S. Trade Representative's Office, trade between the U.S. and Mexico totaled an estimated $855 billion in 2022.

Border security, migration, and the economy played a large role in securing Trump's victory, with voters counting on him to lower taxes and conduct what he has described as the "largest deportation in history."