Trump Cancels Mexico Tariffs
President Trump announced Friday that he has indefinitely suspended imposing tariffs on Mexican exports after reaching an agreement with Mexico to “stem the tide of migration” through the country.
“I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico. The Tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the U.S. on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended,” said Trump in a series of tweets.
“Mexico, in turn, has agreed to take strong measures to stem the tide of Migration through Mexico, and to our southern Border,” Trump added. “This is being done to greatly reduce, or eliminate, illegal immigration coming from Mexico and into the United States.”
The State Department later released a joint declaration with Mexico that said the Mexican government “will take unprecedented steps to increase enforcement to curb irregular migration, to include the deployment of its National Guard throughout Mexico, giving priority to its southern border.”
“The United States and Mexico met this week to address the shared challenges of irregular migration, to include the entry of migrants into the United States in violation of U.S. law. Both parties agree that, in the event the measures adopted do not have the expected results, they will take further actions,” read the statement.
“Therefore, the United States and Mexico will continue their discussions on the terms of additional understandings to address irregular migrant flows and asylum issues, to be completed and announced within 90 days, if necessary,” the statement added.
For its part, the United States said it would implement migrant protection protocols, which means “those crossing the U.S. Southern Border to seek asylum will be rapidly returned to Mexico where they may await the adjudication of their asylum claims.”
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard called the tariff deal ‘fair’ and said that “I think it’s a fair balance because they have more drastic measures and proposals at the start and we reached some middle point.”
Ebrard stressed that the Mexican government will demand migrants register and maintain a status while they are in the country.
“We demand that all people who cross Mexico have to register and they must be given a status. Mexico is a very generous country, we have given visas of very different types, temporary work permits,” Ebrard said. “Secondly, let’s be clear, we are not a country just to pass from one side to the other anonymously, because among other things that caused the tragedy of San Fernando. So our policy is that.”
Trump announced earlier this month that beginning on June 10, a 5% tariff would be imposed on all goods coming into the U.S. from Mexico “until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP.”