The U.S. challenge to Mexico’s nationalist energy policies creates a dilemma for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador—one that could either force him to retreat from his populist agenda or face retaliatory tariffs from Mexico’s biggest export market.
The U.S. Trade Representative Office this week filed for dispute settlement consultations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on grounds that Mexico’s energy policies undermine U.S. firms in favor of state-run companies, in a case that has bipartisan support and the backing of the energy industry in the U.S.
