QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador’s conservative president stated Monday that he’s elevating tariffs on Mexican imports in a transfer that echoes the commerce limitations that U.S. President Donald Trump introduced — however then paused — towards Mexico.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa stated Monday that the 27% tariff to be utilized on Mexican items was geared toward boosting native producers. However the conservative chief might also be searching for favor with Washington, the place the Trump administration stated Saturday it might impose its personal 25% tariffs on Mexico.
Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum introduced Monday that the tariffs could be halted for now to provide the 2 sides extra time to barter. Trump has demanded that Mexico do extra to crack down on unlawful immigration and fentanyl smuggling throughout the border.
Noboa, who took time away from a re-election marketing campaign to attend Trump’s inauguration final month in Washington, has hailed Trump’s win as a victory for Latin America.
Ecuador’s announcement comes amid the South American nation’s separate and bitter diplomatic dispute with Mexico, which final 12 months severed diplomatic ties after Ecuadorian police broke into the Mexican Embassy to arrest Ecuador’s former Vice President Jorge Glas.
Ecuador’s transfer was extensively condemned as a breach of worldwide regulation, whereas Ecuador stated that Glas was wished for fraud and never for political causes and accused Mexico of illegitimately granting him political asylum on the diplomatic compound.
Commerce between the 2 international locations is minimal, nonetheless, accounting for lower than 1% of Mexico’s complete exports, in accordance with Mexican central financial institution knowledge.
Noboa, inheritor to a banana fortune, is working Sunday in elections for his first full constitutional time period after being elected 18 months in the past to complete the aborted mandate of ex-President Guillermo Lasso.
