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LatAm in Focus: Trade and Tensions—Latin America Braces for Trump's Tariffs

By Luisa Leme and Gladys Gerbaud

Ahead of April 2, trade expert Kellie Meiman Hock explains the motivators behind the shift in U.S. trade policy and what tariffs mean for the region.

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April 2 is a date that looms large for Latin America. It is the day that the Trump administration will initiate reciprocal tariffs globally and tariffs on automobiles. This is after the application of 25 percent tariffs on some goods coming from Mexico and Canada in March. 

Kellie Meiman Hock
Kellie Meiman Hock

“Of all the topics that are a priority for President Trump, there are two that really go way back into the eighties for him. One of them is immigration and the other one is tariffs. It's something he's cared deeply about since then,” explained Kellie Meiman Hock, a trade expert with years of experience in Washington who is currently a senior counselor at McLarty Associates. She explains the main drivers behind this shift in U.S. trade policy, including protecting industry, maintaining reciprocity, addressing trade deficits, using tariffs as leverage, and managing concerns about China.

What could this changing landscape mean for Latin America? “In an era when the United States is revisiting tariff levels with our North American trading partners, I think it's safe to say that you have to consider that all the cards are on the table,” Meiman Hock said.

But the implications could vary across the region. “Because we have so many free trade agreements with countries in the hemisphere, the United States actually has a trade surplus, or we are more or less even with many of the countries in the hemisphere,” she explained. “Given that one of those key motivators of Trump's trade policy is addressing trade deficits, when we're looking at hemispheric trade, that's a point where for most countries—obviously not Mexico, obviously not Canada—it should be something that actually protects them.”

Meiman Hock explained that these new trade policies create a dynamic environment, which might rearrange global trade and bring new partners to prominence for Latin American countries. “ We need to be ready for anything in this trade environment,” she said.

This podcast was produced by Luisa Leme, our host and executive producer, and Associate Producers Gladys Gerbaud and Khalea Robertson with support from Multimedia Associate Fabrizio Ricalde. 

The music in this podcast is by Heloísa Fernandes Quartet, performing for Americas Society. Find out about upcoming concerts at: musicoftheamericas.org and share your love for Latin America by joining Americas Society. Becoming a member gives you preferential access to music performances, art gallery, book events, our magazine Americas Quarterly, and more.

Read more about the Trump administration’s approach to trade: 

Get all the analysis on the Trump administration’s actions toward Latin America: www.as-coa.org/trump

Subscribe and access other episodes of Latin America in Focus. Send us feedback at: latamfocus@as-coa.org 

Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members.

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