Mexico asks US for exemption from aluminum tariffs

The Mexican government has asked the United States for a Section 232 exemption from tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez Colin addresses the issue to US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross during Friday's US-Mexico dialogue in Yucatan, Mexico.

Marquez reaffirmed the need for the United States to remove tariff measures on steel and aluminum in line with section 232 measures, according to the Economic Secretariat. He said that Mexico does not pose a threat to US national security, so this measure should be canceled, he added.

According to the ministry, Ross did not officially give any answer.

The US Department of Commerce did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

In mid-March, the Mexican Senate asked the country's economy secretariat to negotiate an exemption from tariffs on steel and aluminum. The Senate told the ministry that Mexico should demand the waiver of tariffs prior to signing the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The agreement still needs to be approved by the US Congress before it can be ratified.

Mexico is currently facing a 25% tariff on US steel exports and a 10% duty on aluminum shipments.

Mexico received a temporary exemption from tariffs when they went into effect on March 23, 2018, but the US has imposed trade measures on Mexico, Canada, and the EU from June 1.

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act 1962 provides the option to impose import duties if they threaten national security.