Mexican president presents Trump with reasons to ditch tariffs but fails to get a deal

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday she was able to present her U.S. counterpart Donald Trump with arguments against tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles in a telephone call last week, and that they reached no agreement.

"We are discussing the issue of tariffs on steel, aluminum and automotive products. We did not reach an agreement, but we are presenting arguments" to prevent the import taxes from taking effect, Sheinbaum said at her regular morning press conference at the National Palace.

"In the case of steel and aluminum, we are arguing that we have a deficit; that is, the United States exports more steel and aluminum to Mexico than Mexico exports to the United States," she explained.

She said Mexico has two avenues to address the tariffs: the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on free trade, and World Trade Organization rules related to the "Most Favored Nation" clause, which aims to ensure equal treatment in trade matters.

In other matters, Sheinbaum said Mexico's Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Alicia Barcenas, was in San Diego to meet with officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "regarding the issue of sewage dumped from (Mexican border city of) Tijuana into the Pacific."