By Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Raul Cortes

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday celebrated the preferential tariff treatment that Mexico receives under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), after Mexico was excluded from U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs.

"This is good for the country," Sheinbaum said during her regular morning press conference. "It has to do with the good relationship that we’ve built between the Mexican and U.S. governments."

Trump on Wednesday announced a minimum tariff of 10% on nearly all imports into the U.S., with much higher levies imposed on key trading partners, including China and the European Union.

Mexico’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard also hailed the news that Mexico would be excluded from the new tariffs as a "great achievement."

"The USMCA treaty has outlived this new trade regime," he said, adding Mexico’s goal in the next 40 days is to achieve the best trade conditions possible.

President Sheinbaum said the Mexican government will announce additional measures later today aimed at strengthening the country’s position in future negotiations.

Mexico, which sends 80% of its exports to the United States, is one of the countries most vulnerable to President Trump’s tariff threat.