Reuters.- Canadian mining companies want to go to international courts to resolve their disputes with the Mexican state over the payment of taxes, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Tuesday, who asked the Canadian ambassador to his country to intercede in this matter.

The president said several companies are catching up on taxes and cited Mexican company FEMSA, Japan's Toyota, and U.S. companies Walmart and IBM as examples.

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However, he maintained that there are differences with other companies. “Some Canadian mining companies are not aware, they want to go to international courts,” he said during his morning press conference.

The president sent “a respectful message” to the Canadian ambassador asking for help in this matter. “Why are we going to court? It is very clear that they have debts with the SAT (Tax Administration Service) and I hope they will help us convince them.”

It was not immediately possible to obtain a comment from the tax authorities.

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The president reiterated that the agreements concluded by various large companies with the SAT will represent some 25 billion pesos (about 1.149 million dollars) for the state coffers.

The collection of taxes from these companies has become a central issue for the government in the face of the economic contraction that the country is experiencing and to cope with the increase in spending on social programs aimed at helping the poor facing the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic.