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By Jasper Ward
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that Mexico has proposed matching U.S. tariffs on China in a move that he described as "very interesting" and one that Canada should match.
Top Mexican officials have met with members of Trump's cabinet this week for trade talks ahead of a March 4 deadline, when U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports are set to get into effect alongside an additional 10% duty on Chinese imports.
"I think it would be a nice gesture if the Canadians did it also so in a way we could have fortress North America from the flood of Chinese imports that's coming out of the most unbalanced economy in the history of modern times," Bessent said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.
The Mexican and Canadian governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Chinese embassy in Washington said unilateral tariff hikes by the U.S. severely violate World Trade Organization rules and harm interests for China, the U.S. and the world.
"Pressuring, coercion and threat is not the right way to deal with China. Instead, mutual respect is the basic prerequisite," embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement to Reuters.
"We urge the U.S. to correct its wrongdoing and return to the right track of addressing each other’s concerns through equal-footed consultations."
Bloomberg, citing a person familiar, has reported that the proposed tariffs by Mexico on China would focus on cars and auto parts. The move is likely a response by Mexico City to avoid a looming 25% tariff by the United States on Mexican goods.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration has said for months that it is carefully considering Washington and Ottawa's policies towards China, saying even before Trump's reelection that it sought to be "more aligned" in addressing potential unfair Chinese trade practices.
On Thursday, Mexican Deputy Economy Minister Vidal Llerenas said that Mexico could adopt further trade measures beyond tariffs it has slapped on cheap goods mostly from China, including counterfeit products, which had entered under previous low-cost exemptions known as "de minimis."
(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Additional reporting by Kylie Madry and Ismail Shakil; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle and Jasper Ward; Editing by Sandra Maler and David Gregorio)
