A U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and including officials associated with the American-Mexican issues met with President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador and others, signaling a possible shift in the eroded relationship between the two countries. Incoming Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who was present at the meeting, has stated that his country will continue to look for common ground, with a focus on economic development in Central America. He also acknowledged that the relationship between the countries has been tense as of recent. A possible decline of the conflict between the two countries could pave the way for renegotiation of NAFTA, investment in areas of Central America and Southern Mexico, and an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico regarding Central American asylum seekers.

While the steel industry has recently seen an economic uptick due to the tariffs imposed on many U.S. trading partners, those industries that rely on steel will likely be burdened with tougher economic conditions due to the higher prices at which steel will sell. The plants that are able to reopen or expand may provide an initial boost to the industry, but are not viewed as viable in the long term. Steel companies have faced troubling layoffs in recent years, and have voiced their support for measures that move toward a fairer environment, but urge against tariffs that hurt U.S. allies. There is conflict over whether the tariffs will provide a benefit to national security, and some cite the tariffs placed on steel under President Bush as an example of why tariffs don't succeed. While there is a difference of opinion regarding the effects of the tariffs, most economists do not see tariffs as a good long-term solution.