CITY OF MEXICO (AP) On Thursday, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico expressed her confidence in preventing a trade war with the United States.
However, it was unclear from her statement the day after she spoke with Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, who had made what offer.
When questioned about the matter at her usual morning news briefing, Sheinbaum stated categorically that there would be no possible trade war.
Trump said on Wednesday that Sheinbaum had committed to halting illegal immigration into the United States. The same day, she posted on social media that caravans and migrants are cared for before they get at the border.
It’s unclear, though, if that was a pledge, a promise, or just a statement of reality. In an attempt to find safety in numbers, migrants who have been denied permission to enter Mexico have recently banded together in caravans to walk or hitchhike north toward the U.S. border.
In actuality, no caravan has ever arrived at the border by walking or hitchhiking in a coordinated manner, with the exception of the initial caravans in 2018 and 2019, who were given busses to travel some of the way north.
For many years, Mexican police and migration officials have frequently barred, harassed, or stopped migrant caravans from hitching rides. Additionally, they have often been apprehended or sent back to regions close to the Guatemalan border. Thus, Sheinbaum’s assertion seems to capture a reality that has been for a while.
On Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his hope that Trump would reconsider his proposal to put tariffs on Canada and Mexico, claiming that it may damage ties with close friends.
I’m hoping he reconsiders. In Nantucket, Massachusetts, he told reporters, “I think it’s a counterproductive thing to do.”
Prior to this, Trump has threatened to put 25% taxes on goods from Canada and Mexico until those nations effectively halt illegal immigration and the flow of drugs like fentanyl into the US. He added that 10% more tariffs would be applied to Chinese goods until Beijing curbs the manufacturing of fentanyl-making materials.
Many Mexicans are concerned that U.S. tariffs could impact a variety of famous Mexican items and jeopardize entire regional economies, despite Sheinbaum’s assurance that the phone meeting with Trump was excellent.
Mexico is the primary source of avocados for the U.S. market, and no crop in western Mexico provides as much revenue for small growers as avocados. However, avocado producers, pickers, and packers are concerned that American consumers would choose not to eat guacamole because of the 25% price increase.
Additionally, Sheinbaum stated earlier this week that if Trump proceeded with his import duty intentions, Mexico would be developing a list of retaliation taxes.
Trump’s planned higher tariffs on all commodities imported into the United States could cost Mexico, Canada, and China about $266 billion in tax revenue. This figure does not account for trade disruptions or retaliatory actions by other nations.
American families, importers, and both domestic and international businesses would probably have to pay the price of those levies in the form of increased costs or decreased earnings.
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