WASHINGTON, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Senior Mexican officials said here on Monday that they're weighing several options, including possible retaliatory tariffs, in response to possible U.S. tariffs on Mexican imports.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he would impose a 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods beginning June 10 in order to pressure Mexico to halt undocumented migrants crossing the border, and that he could continue hiking tariffs to as high as 25 percent until the problem is solved.
A high-level Mexican delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard is in Washington this week to hold meetings with U.S. officials to discuss the tariffs and immigration.
"The tariffs could be very costly for the U.S. economy, the consumers in the United States and the Mexican economy," Ebrard on Monday told reporters at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, adding the economic fallout could further weaken Mexico's ability to control migration.
If the United States moves ahead with the plans to impose tariffs on Mexican imports, "there are several paths to take" in terms of retaliation, said Mexico's Economy Minister Graciela Marquez.
Her country would first appeal to multilateral organizations such as the World Trade Organization, Marquez said, adding that retaliatory tariffs on selected U.S. goods would also be possible.
"We are evaluating those possibilities," she said, noting Mexico would have to "make a strategic decision" to consider the many aspects of the Mexico-U.S. trading relations.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday that he met with Mexico's economy minister to discuss bilateral trade and the planned 5-percent tariff on Mexican goods.
"I reiterated the President's message that Mexico needs to do more to help the U.S. address immigration across our shared border," Ross said in a statement.
Meetings between Mexican and U.S. officials are expected to continue over the next few days. Ebrard will lead Mexico's delegation in talks with the U.S. delegation headed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday, according to media reports.
