US President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have agreed to a one-month delay in the imposition of planned US tariffs, following what Sheinbaum described as a productive conversation between the two leaders. The announcement comes after Trump had previously threatened a 25% tariff on Mexican goods, accusing Sheinbaum’s government of having an “intolerable alliance” with Mexican crime groups.

Sheinbaum rejected these accusations, calling them “slanderous,” but softened her stance during a press conference, revealing that the two countries had reached a series of agreements. As part of the deal, Mexico agreed to send 10,000 members of its national guard to combat drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl, into the US. In return, the US committed to efforts aimed at preventing high-powered weapons from crossing into Mexico.

Trump confirmed the deal shortly after, stating on his Truth Social platform that he had a "very friendly conversation" with Sheinbaum. He added that Mexico would immediately deploy 10,000 soldiers to curb fentanyl and illegal migration at the US-Mexico border. As a result, the tariffs, which were scheduled to take effect the following day, would be paused for one month while further negotiations take place involving senior officials from both nations, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

During her daily press briefing in Mexico City, Sheinbaum highlighted the importance of addressing gun smuggling from the US, referencing the illegal flow of high-powered weapons into Mexico. While Trump did not mention this issue in his remarks about the pause in tariffs, Sheinbaum emphasized that halting the trafficking of such weapons was a key part of the agreement. She also noted that although she had joked with Trump about suspending the tariffs permanently, she considered the one-month delay to be a “good deal” for both countries.

Claudia Sheinbaum, a former mayor of Mexico City and climatologist, is the first woman to hold the presidency in North America. Born in Mexico City to a Jewish family with Bulgarian roots, her father was a notable chemical engineer and her mother, a prominent Sephardic Jewish academic. Sheinbaum has a history of left-wing activism, influenced by her family’s involvement in political movements. While her Jewish background was not widely acknowledged, it gained attention during her 2018 mayoral campaign. She now faces the challenge of tackling organized crime violence, an issue that marked the election campaign, and has already received the endorsement of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador as his successor.