MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday she doesn't believe the United States will impose tariffs on Feb. 1, after the White House doubled down on U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to do so.

U.S. President Donald Trump still plans to make good on his promise to issue tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Saturday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday.

President Claudia Sheinbaum brushed off a question as to whether Mexico is expecting US President Donald Trump to announce 25% tariffs on Mexican goods Feb. 1. “We don’t expect it will happen,” she said. “But if it does, we have our plan.”

U.S. President Trump said that his administration could impose a 25% tariff on Mexican exports. But will he actually act on his threat?

General Motors, the largest producer of cars in Mexico, won’t provide details on how it would react if President Trump imposes 25 percent tariffs from the two countries.

Trump has repeatedly insisted that tariffs are coming on Canada and Mexico, despite both countries seeking to address his stated concerns about illegal border crossings and the smuggling of fentanyl. But the Republican president is also motivated by the idea that tariffs would force other countries to “respect” the United States.

President Donald Trump's nominee to run the Commerce Department, Howard Lutnick, said on Wednesday that Canada and Mexico can avoid looming U.S. tariffs if they act swiftly to close their borders to fentanyl,

US President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting February 1. His administration is also considering new tariffs on China, escalating tensions with major trading partners.

U.S. President Donald Trump still plans to slap Canada and Mexico with steep tariffs on Saturday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt says. Leavitt told reporters at the White House that she spoke with Trump on Monday night and he indicated Feb.