Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that she reached agreements with President Donald Trump during a phone call this week, offering a sign of progress as Washington pushes to finish a trade deal with Mexico before the November midterm elections. She declined to disclose what the two leaders had settled or say when an agreement might be completed.
Sheinbaum confirmed during her daily news conference that she and Trump spoke Wednesday, describing the conversation as “very good.” Politico first reported the call, but her comments provided the first public confirmation from Mexico’s president that the discussion had produced agreements. “Progress is being made toward a potential agreement between us, Mexico, and the United States,” she added.
The talks come as both governments try to resolve trade disputes that have put Mexican exporters under tariff pressure. Washington is seeking changes involving automotive content, steel, aluminum and supply chains that run through other countries. Negotiators are working toward an interim agreement as part of a broader review of North American trade rules.
For the Trump administration, completing a deal before the midterms would provide an economic agreement to take to voters as Republicans campaign to retain control of Congress. For Mexico, an accord could ease tariffs on its exports and give businesses a clearer picture of the rules governing trade with the United States.
Officials have discussed another formal round of negotiations for late September, leaving the two governments a narrow window to settle their differences before the election. Sheinbaum’s remarks offered encouragement, but she left unanswered which concessions either country had made and what remained to be negotiated.
