Mexico has ramped up its purchases of skim milk powder (SMP) this year, in what is seen as a defensive move against US president Donald Trump’s protectionist policies.

EU export figures show that Mexico imported more than twice the amount of SMP from Europe in January and February this year than it did in the same period last year.

Mexico imported 3,998t of SMP in the first two months of this year, compared to 1,800t in the same period in 2016. This was an increase of 122%, according to the EU Milk Market Observatory.

The imports also exceed the country’s 2015 imports of SMP, which stood at 2,707t for the same period.