\n<\/p>\n
When President Trump got on a phone call with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico on Thursday morning, he was firm: The tariffs were inescapable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tariffs stay,\u201d Ms. Sheinbaum quoted Mr. Trump as saying, recounting the conversation at a news conference hours later.<\/p>\n
But the Mexican president pressed her case. She sent Mr. Trump a chart showing a sharp decline in fentanyl seizures at the U.S.-Mexico border and told him that tariffs would make it harder to keep up the security collaboration that was, she said, \u201cdelivering results.\u201d<\/p>\n
By the end of the call, Mr. Trump relented, agreeing to suspend tariffs on Mexican goods.<\/p>\n
On social media, Mr. Trump announced that at least until April 2, Mexico will not be required to pay tariffs on anything that falls under the main North American trade pact. He later extended the same pause to Canada, reversing the enormous 25 percent tariff he slapped on both countries exports earlier this week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe succeeded,\u201d Ms Sheinbaum said.<\/p>\n
The decision represented a huge victory for Mexico\u2019s leader and a much-needed boost for the country\u2019s sluggish economy.<\/p>\n
Ms. Sheinbaum herself acknowledged that there were several forces that may have driven Mr. Trump to retract the measures, citing the business leaders who urged the White House to change course, the negative reaction in U.S. markets and her own country\u2019s progress on fentanyl and migration.<\/p>\n
But the suspension also reflected the success of Ms. Sheinbaum\u2019s soft-touch strategy in withstanding Mr. Trump\u2019s theatrical attacks and somehow, against significant odds, earning his public admiration.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum,\u201d Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. \u201cOur relationship has been a very good one.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
He added: \u201cThank you to President Sheinbaum for your hard work and collaboration!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. Sheinbaum\u2019s response was equally warm. \u201cMany thanks to President Donald Trump. We had an excellent and respectful call,\u201d she said in a post on X, promising to continue working together \u201cparticularly on migration and security issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Unlike Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, who has responded aggressively to Mr. Trump\u2019s attacks on his country, Ms. Sheinbaum has been more reserved, opting to negotiate quietly through back channels rather than trade public insults.<\/p>\n
While Canada and China both quickly announced retaliatory measures after American tariffs hit this week, Mexico held off, refraining from what was seen as a possible provocation while a deal was still possible.<\/p>\n
Experts assessing the value of that more subtle approach note that Canada achieved the same results as Mexico. But they acknowledge that Ms. Sheinbaum has been deft to avoid the stinging rebukes Mr. Trump visited on Mr. Trudeau, which would have been an even bigger drag on her momentum as she enters her sixth month in office.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer strategy is not to fall into provocations, to be coolheaded,\u201d said Carlos Bravo Regidor, a Mexico City-based analyst. \u201cSo far, so good.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n