US-Mexico Tariff Deal Stalls Over Lutnick Objections, WSJ Reports

3-line summary

• Talks on a US-Mexico tariff deal have stalled due to objections from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the Wall Street Journal reported — the second time Lutnick has disrupted ongoing North American trade negotiations, per the report. The two sides had been discussing lowering US tariffs on steel, aluminum, and autos in exchange for a series of Mexican concessions; the deal was also meant to open the door to renegotiating USMCA.
• The article did not state Lutnick's explicit reasoning, but said he objected to substantially lowering the 25% tariff on Mexican-made autos and the 50% tariff on steel and aluminum, as well as lowering tariffs on finished derivative products made from steel and aluminum. These tariffs are imposed on national-security grounds and administered by Lutnick's Commerce Department.
• Context cited: Lutnick's profile had diminished for much of 2026 as Trade Representative Jamieson Greer gained prominence, before Lutnick reasserted himself in the administration's trade policy. Mexican officials and many corporate executives had believed a deal was close, but progress slowed significantly over the recent disagreement on vehicle and metals tariffs.

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