MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican officials are set to speak with representatives from China next week about Mexico's planned tariffs on goods from the Asian country, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday, saying the tariffs were not intended as a coercion measures.
Sheinbaum added that the proposed measures, which are set to impact hundreds of goods from countries with which Mexico does not have trade agreements, notably cars sent from China, are not against any country in particular.
China on
Thursday criticized the tariff hike on Chinese autos, saying the move would undermine investor confidence and "seriously affect Mexico's business environment."
"We have a very good relationship with China and we want to keep having a very good relationship with them," Sheinbaum said in her daily morning press conference.
The fresh tariff measures are targeted to sectors which need to boost national production, Sheinbaum added.
South Korea has also reached out to Mexican officials to initiate talks, she said.
The Mexico-China Chamber of Commerce on Thursday called for Mexico to reconsider the measures, arguing they threatened the competitiveness of goods sold in Mexico and the adoption of electric vehicles in the country.
Mexico is a major manufacturer of cars that it exports largely to the United States, but it also imports hundreds of thousands of vehicles each year.
(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Additional reporting by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Sarah Morland)
