MEXICO CITY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. trade measures against its main partners represent a "setback" for the world economic order, a Mexican politician has said.
In an interview with Xinhua, Alberto Anaya, national coordinator of Mexico's Labor Party (PT), said the current U.S. stance on trade contradicts the spirit of free trade which saved the world economy from the 2008 financial crisis.
"It goes against the market economy system that the United States and many countries have, and that is why in recent decades the U.S. economy has lost so much competitiveness," said the party leader.
These measures, in his opinion, will harm "practically the entire world order in a globalized world."
At the end of May, the Trump administration pressed Mexico, one of its main trading partners, with the threat to impose tariffs on all Mexican imports, but U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his country has reached a signed agreement with Mexico to "indefinitely" suspend the tariffs plan.
The PT leader also said it was dubious whether the U.S. government really intends to impose tariffs considering the Mexico-United States-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA) is in the process of being ratified.
"It is not fair to threaten us with a trade war after having reached a new trade agreement," Anaya said.
The Mexican politician considered it vital that Mexico diversifies its commercial markets.
"We have been slow. We should have opted for the diversification of economic and trade relations with other countries decades ago," and that would be healthy for Mexico to enable it to "avoid being totally dependent on the United States," he said.
