Breathe
By Stephanie Henaro
April 2 will not go down in history as just another day. It was Liberation Day. That is how the spokespersons of the new-old world order christened it: Donald Trump's return to the White House is no longer a promise, it is active politics. And Mexico, of course, was the first to receive his affection in the form of tariffs.
While some were still processing the echoes of the "America First" 2016 version, Trump simply reissued it with new covers: trade punishment for those who dare to compete with U.S. industry. Who was in the front row? Us. The uncomfortable neighbor that provides the cars, the parts, the labor and that now, once again, pays for being indispensable.
The new tariffs are not an accident or a technical adjustment. They are pure doctrine. Trumpism has been freed -from restrictions, from forms, from pretexts- and now imposes an economy of trenches. One where Mexico is once again the moving target of a policy that understands trade as war and integration as weakness.
It's not a coincidence. It is a message. And it comes through loud and clear: although the relationship with the United States continues to be "strategic", in fact they are reminding us that the strategy is not defined by us. You wanted to be part of the T-MEC? Perfect, but be prepared to pay the price of having protectionism as the new trade sheriff.
The Mexican automotive industry, which for years was a symbol of bilateral success, is now in the spotlight. Tariffs of 25% for cars manufactured outside the U.S. are, in reality, tariffs for us. The value chains that we have worked so hard to build are now under direct threat, and with them thousands of jobs, investments and growth plans.
They are also going after pharmaceuticals, steel, electronics. Trump is not improvising. He is executing the plan we already know. What is new is that now he is doing it from power - and without real opposition. Markets are trembling, companies are rearranging logistics chains and countries are forced to choose between keeping quiet or paying.
But the most worrying thing is not the immediate impact. It is the normalization of this logic: each country on its own, each partner under suspicion, each ally on trial. Globalism is no longer valid, nor is multilateralism capable of restraining the momentum of the club. In this new world, dialogue is a luxury. What rules is the tariff.
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