Description: Mexico so far has been one of the largest victims of the shaky and unpredictable foreign policy conducted by US President Donald Trump. He initially imposed 25% tariffs on Mexican imports, then retracted the decision and finally stated that products pertaining to the USMCA would be exempted from the tariffs. Meanwhile, US Stryker Brigade and other military elements accumulated on the border in an attempt to pressure Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Previously, CIA spy planes were reported to have conducted surveillance missions over Mexican airspace, while at the beginning of the year 1,500 troops were deployed to the border under the pretext of fighting the fentanyl drug trade war.
Impact: Trump’s checkered foreign policy charter risks corrupting years long strategic alliances and deteriorating the US economy from an irreversible downfall. Trump has continuously pressured trade rival China with tariffs in both of his terms, but the imposition of tariffs on Mexico and Canada could possibly be interpreted as reasserting US dominance over the continent. Power consolidation has been one of the only constants in Trump’s decisions but so far it reflects and continues to reflect badly on the global geopolitical dynamics. Mexico is politically rallied behind their President and could potentially pursue trade, economic and defensive alternatives such as increasing already existing cooperation with China and Europe.