Canada wants to deepen its economic ties with the EU and uphold global trading rules in the face of threatened U.S. tariffs, its trade minister Mary Ng told Reuters on Saturday.

According to President Sheinbaum, Mexico has cut a deal with the U.S. to delay the tariffs. Under the deal, she said Mexico is sending another 10,000 members of its national guard to the southern border to combat drug traffickers, while the U.S. has agreed to do more to prevent the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico.

Ms Sheinbaum (pictured) won praise at home and abroad for her handling of her mercurial American counterpart. Throughout the confrontation her demeanour was respectful but firm. When Mr Trump ordered tariffs on February 1st, she told her team to prepare countermeasures, but did not publicise the details.

The move likely will trigger retaliation and risk igniting a trade war that could cause broad economic disruption for all countries involved.

Jamieson Greer, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be United States trade representative, defended the use of tariffs against Mexico and Canada in his confirmation hearing on Thursday. Greer, who would play a key role in executing Trump’s trade policy,

Amid warnings of price increases, Canada moved quickly to retaliate, China said it had planned countermeasures and Mexico said it would soon unveil its response.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada must think “tactically and strategically” on how to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose hefty tariffs on all Canadian imports

Canada will keep trying to persuade the Trump administration to drop its tariff plans, in part by reaching out to US states that have significant trading relationships with their northern neighbor, trade minister Mary Ng said.