Claudia Sheinbaum, the President of Mexico, celebrated in front of tens of thousands of supporters gathered at the Zocalo Square in Mexico City on the 9th (local time) that U.S. tariffs have been suspended for two months. Initially, this event was to explain the Mexican government's retaliatory measures against tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration. However, after Trump spoke with Sheinbaum last week and decided to postpone tariffs until April 2, the event became a festive occasion.
Trump noted on the 6th, 'In deference to Sheinbaum, I have withdrawn my plan to impose a 25% tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada.' As Sheinbaum secured two extensions on the tariff from Trump, her approval ratings have steadily increased since Trump took office at the end of January. According to a survey by local media El Financiero, Sheinbaum's approval rating jumped from 70% when she took office in October last year to 85% last month.
In this regard, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) evaluated that 'Sheinbaum responded to the capricious Trump firmly yet with restraint, emphasizing bilateral cooperation efforts to persuade Trump that unilateral tariffs would undermine both countries' efforts to curb fentanyl smuggling.' The Washington Post (WP) also stated, 'Sheinbaum managed to persuade Trump to postpone tariffs twice,' and 'Unlike political leaders from Ukraine, Canada, and around the world who were swept away by Trump's anger, Sheinbaum succeeded humbly.' Karin Jasis, a fellow at the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center, told WP, 'Sheinbaum demonstrated a balanced approach with Trump and has developed a unique presence globally.'
Sheinbaum adopted a strategy of concessions rather than confrontation with Trump since he threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico in early February. While there were voices of opposition within Mexican politics, she prioritized soothing Trump's concerns. A representative example was when Trump imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and to curb the fentanyl shipments and illegal immigration he was concerned about, on the 27th of last month, she extradited 29 drug traffickers to the U.S. Some legal scholars argued that this violated Mexican law; however, Sheinbaum transferred drug traffickers to the U.S. and sent an additional 10,000 troops to the Mexico-U.S. border. The additional national guard personnel stopped all vehicles heading to the U.S. across the Mexican border, interrogating drivers, and deployed drug detection dogs around vehicles.
Additionally, Sheinbaum showcased 'timing politics.' Unlike Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who immediately announced retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump's tariff policy, Sheinbaum prioritized dialogue with Trump and delayed imposing retaliatory tariffs. Due to Trump's tariff threats causing a stock market crash and retail companies worrying about inflation, pressure increased on Trump to retract the tariffs, creating an opportunity for Mexico. WP noted, 'The Mexican government increased pressure for tariff retraction without announcing its own retaliatory measures,' and 'Mexico does not feel Trump's anger like Canada does.'
Sheinbaum, true to her nickname 'Ice Woman,' maintained her composure. WP reported, citing Sheinbaum's aides, 'She thoroughly prepared for calls with Trump, consulted with Ministers and corporate leaders, and even studied Trump's style.' Most importantly, Sheinbaum calmly stated only the facts rather than reacting angrily to Trump's insults.
For instance, when Trump claimed on the 4th that Mexico and Canada had failed to cease shipments of fentanyl across the U.S. border and stated he would impose the 25% tariff as planned, Sheinbaum sent Trump a graphic containing data from the Department of Homeland Security. The graphic showed a significant drop in the amount of fentanyl seized by the U.S. at the southern border since she took office as president in October last year. WP reported, 'Sheinbaum told Trump that the fentanyl arriving in the U.S. had decreased because it was interrupted in Mexico.' Relatedly, Sheinbaum told reporters, 'He (Trump) was not aware of the graphic until we sent it to him.'
Sheinbaum also actively promoted the Mexican government's policies to curb fentanyl use to Trump. After her conversation with Sheinbaum, Trump said, 'I make a lot of calls, but often learn nothing,' but added, 'I talked with that woman (Sheinbaum), and as soon as she mentioned that, I said, 'Exactly. That's a really good idea.'
While Sheinbaum has secured a delay on tariffs from Trump, Mexico remains exposed to the threat of tariffs, as Trump has yet to decide on retracting them. Considering Mexico's high dependency on exports, if Trump continues to make repetitive tariff threats and demands the transfer of U.S.-based automobile manufacturers in Mexico, the Mexican economy could face instability.
According to estimates by the Mexican government, at least 10% of Mexico's total exports are at risk of facing U.S. tariffs due to Trump's protectionist measures. Some believe that up to 40% of Mexican exports could be affected.
By persuading Trump while raising her popularity at home and establishing a distinct presence on the global stage, Sheinbaum was elected as the first female president in Mexico, a country with a strong patriarchal culture, in 2024. Her election is viewed as the first time the 'glass ceiling' in Mexican politics has been shattered. Of Lithuanian and Bulgarian Jewish descent, she studied physics and engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), one of Latin America's top universities, and served as the mayor of Mexico City. Unlike many previous Mexican presidents, she is also known to be fluent in English, in addition to her native Spanish.