Summary:

A recent KVIA report from Yucatán, Mexico explored how American expatriates living abroad are responding to the recently proposed U.S. tariff policy. The story focuses on the US President’s  recently proposed tariffs and the attitudes of several U.S. expats in Mexico with respect to the Trump administration’s policies.

The group generally expressed apprehension about the proposed tariffs, especially given their reliance on both U.S. and Mexican markets. Some stated that a tariff increase could negatively affect costs for U.S.-made products they still import while living abroad, or increase tensions between the U.S. and its trading partners, particularly Mexico. Nevertheless, some supported the policies as a necessary measure to safeguard economic and political U.S. interests and protect it from purported drug trafficking. 

The report also featured Yucatán locals, who discussed the vital role American tourism and residency play in the regional economy and expressed concern that tariffs might have the effect of diminishing U.S. tourism and expatriate income in the region, and thereby jeopardize their livelihoods.

Additionally, the article contextualizes these discussions by illustrating how U.S. trade policy has concrete and immediate effects on the daily lives of Americans living abroad. These effects ranged from increased costs of basic goods to rising tensions with local communities to broader concerns over the evolving political and economic relationship between the United States and Mexico.

Original Article Link: https://kvia.com/video/2025/03/10/kvia-reports-from-yucatan-mexico-to-get-perspective-on-trumps-tariffs-from-americans-living-abroad/
Source: KVIA ABC-7 (El Paso)
Date: March 10, 2025