It is very important that we maintain positive diplomatic and economic relations with Mexico. But Trump's condescending and belligerent blustering with threats of tarriffs has set back relations 20 years. Anti-American sentiment has reverted to where was prior to 1990.
Who cares you ask? We should. The economic importance is the most obvious aspect. Whether it is right or wrong (in reality it is wrong,), many US corporations depend upon the manufacture of parts from south of the border. Cheap labor and an absence of environmental and safety regulations makes it advantageous for corporations (not so for the people of Mexic) to buy from Mexico. Tarriffs would make that situation less advantageous, ultimately passing the price on to American consumers. (I hold that this relationship is immoral in its inception and implimentation for what it does to the Mexican people, but presently it is the reality).
What is less obvious is the cultural damage that resulting from his blustering. Since the mid-1990's Mexico had turned from a socialist oreinted society, to a burgeoning democratic society. Not perfect, but moving positively in thst direction. It was to the US's advantage that our southern neighbor was moving toward representative democracy and not remaining some form of socialist society.
Indications appear that the socialist elements that were a minority voice in Mexico for the last 20 years, are now reasserting their claims that they were right all along. Their assertions that the US really is the bogeyman whose intentions all along was to exploit the Mexican people without regards for their well-being. Their voice is gaining ground with the Mexican populace. Trump's chauvinism and racism is once again fueling these feelings. This will make cooperation on other issues between the US and Mexico more difficult to acheive.
Mexico is not perfect by any means. Mexico is experiencing one of the highest murder rates in the world. Drug cartels are opperating almost unimpeded throughout Mexico. The Mexican government has made inroads in curbing activities, but its has had minor impact thus far. Poverty has always made corruption lucrative in Mexico. A culture of corruption is deeply ingrained throughout the country. The cartels know this and use this to their advantage making government efforts an uphill battle.
Trump's pressure has made this battle even more challenging. Mexico must redirect resourses and money from fighting the cartels in order to deal with Trump,'s demands. They must take persons directed to controlling and taking down the cartels to directing migrant traffic. This sounds simplistic, but reality is not. To accommodate Trump's uneducated demands, Mexico will redirect large amounts of people and resources to do nothing more than direct immigrant traffic. Mexico will not, and cannot staunch the flow form the Northern Central American triangle: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, without destabilizing the international relationships in the area. The best they can hope to achieve is to impede a small percentage of the numbers flowing north. His actions does nothing to address the underlying problems driving the immigration problem, extreme poverty.
Once again the term "Ugly American" will resound across Mexico and the world. Thanks to Trump.