Sheinbaum and Trump Hold Call as Bilateral Tariff-Relief Talks Advance

President Claudia Sheinbaum held a phone call with US President Donald Trump on September 17 focused on the ongoing USMCA review and bilateral trade friction. Sheinbaum described the call as 'very good' and said some agreements were reached, though she declined to give specifics, adding that talks were 'advancing' toward a deal that would ease US tariffs on Mexican steel, aluminum and automobiles while preserving the trilateral USMCA framework. The call followed a fourth formal USMCA joint-review round in Washington in early September between USTR Jamieson Greer, Commerce Secretary counterparts and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard that failed to resolve disputes over automotive rules-of-origin content thresholds and Section 232 metals tariffs. People familiar with the call offered differing characterizations of its tone, with one source describing it as merely 'so-so' after additional issues were raised. A further round of formal negotiations was set for September 28–29, with both governments racing to reach an interim arrangement before the US midterm elections on November 3.