News / Foreign Policy

Trump cancels tariffs on Mexico after deal on migration

Friday, 07 June 2019 10:52 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 08 June 2019 2:19 AM ]

US President Donald Trump (AFP photo)

US President Donald Trump says that the United States has reached a deal with Mexico over a surge of migrants on their common border, thereby cancelling tariffs against Mexico City.

Trump made the announcement Friday on Twitter following three days of talks between US and Mexican officials in Washington.

A Mexican delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard arrived in the US on Wednesday to hold negotiations with US officials at a meeting hosted by Vice President Mike Pence.

The Trump administration had planned to slap new tariffs on Mexico to pressure the country to crack down on the rising numbers of migrants entering the US.

PressTV-Trump vows more tariffs on Mexico to end immigration

US President Donald Trump, incensed by a surge of illegal immigrants across the southern border, vowed on Thursday to impose a tariff on all goods coming from Mexico.

Marc Short, chief of staff to Pence, also said that Washington was moving ahead with a legal notification of the tariffs. “You should anticipate that happening today,” he said at the White House Friday.

However, Trump said later in the day that the US and Mexico might reach a deal.

“If we are able to make the deal with Mexico, & there is a good chance that we will, they will begin purchasing Farm & Agricultural products at very high levels, starting immediately,” he said on Twitter, adding, “If we are unable to make the deal, Mexico will begin paying Tariffs at the 5% level on Monday!”

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also told reporters in Mexico City that “it’s a good sign that talks have not broken down.”

“There is dialogue and an agreement can be reached. I’m optimistic we can achieve that,” Lopez Obrador said.

However, he noted that it was a mistake for Washington to link migration with trade.

Finally, the US president announced on Twitter that the two sides had reached a deal on the last day of their talks.

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. Mexico, in turn, has agreed to take strong measures to....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019

....stem the tide of Migration through Mexico, and to our Southern Border. This is being done to greatly reduce, or eliminate, Illegal Immigration coming from Mexico and into the United States. Details of the agreement will be released shortly by the State Department. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019

Republican leaders in the Senate had previously pressed the Trump administration to negotiate a solution with Mexican officials and said the president could face a congressional blockade if he goes through with the levies.