Canadian official proposes removing Mexico from the T-MEC; this is the reason

TORONTO.- Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, proposed removing Mexico from the North American Free Trade Agreementknown as T-MEC, accused it of being the “back door” for Chinese products.

At a press conference, he indicated that if Mexico does not match the tariffs of Canada and the United States on Chinese imports, “should not sit at the table (T-MEC) or enjoy access to the largest economy in the world.”

They suggest a bilateral Canada-United States treaty

Ford, head of the largest province of canada and conservative politician, stressed that Canada should prioritize the United States and negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement.

“If Mexico wants a bilateral trade agreement with Canada, God bless them. But I’m not going to let them sink me with these cheap imports that take away jobs from men and women in Ontario,” he added.

🔴 Voices in Canada threaten to expel Mexico from the T-MEC 🚨💥 Ontario Premier Doug Ford attacks Mexico, calling it a “back door” for Chinese products in North America. 😱💸 Ford suggests negotiating a direct agreement between the US and Canada, requiring… pic.twitter.com/l7NiDTEFp0

— LuisCardenasMX (@LuisCardenasMx) November 12, 2024

Ontario is Canada’s industrial engine and concentrates the country’s entire automobile sector, which employs some 125,000 people directly in the province.

In 2023, automobile production contributed C$14 billion (US$10 billion) to Ontario’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Tariffs from Canada and the United States on Chinese products

The Canadian government announced in August that it will impose a 100% tariff on the import of Chinese electric vehicles, and another 25% on steel and aluminum, matching the tariffs announced by the United States.

It is expected that In 2026 the United States, Canada and Mexico will renegotiate the T-MEC.

For his part, the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, has expressed his opposition to Chinese manufacturers producing vehicles in Mexico for export and has suggested imposing tariffs of up to 200%.

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