US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that Mexico has proposed matching US tariffs on China in a move that he described as "very interesting" and one that Canada should match.

Top Mexican officials have met with members of Trump's cabinet this week for trade talks ahead of a March 4 deadline, when US President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports are set to get into effect alongside an additional 10 per cent duty on Chinese imports.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said unilateral tariff hikes by the US severely violate World Trade Organization rules and harm interests for China, the US and the world.

"Pressuring, coercion and threat is not the right way to deal with China. Instead, mutual respect is the basic prerequisite," embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement to Reuters.

"We urge the US to correct its wrongdoing and return to the right track of addressing each other’s concerns through equal-footed consultations."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration has said for months that it is carefully considering Washington and Ottawa's policies towards China, saying even before Trump's re-election that it sought to be "more aligned" in addressing Chinese trade practices. (Reuters)