President Donald Trump poured cold water on the idea that the U.S. and Mexico might reach an agreement by the end of the week that would avoid a 5 percent tariff going into effect on Mexican imports.
“I think it’s more likely that the tariffs go on,” Trump said at a press conference during a state visit to London.
Trump’s comment was in stark contrast to the hopeful comments from Mexican officials that an agreement would be reached.
“I think that we have 80 percent in favor of a negotiation [that would stop tariffs from being implemented], 20 percent that maybe it’s difficult to reach an agreement,” Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday at a press conference at the Mexican Embassy in Washington. “I’d suppose that the imposition of tariffs can be avoided.”
Last week, Trump made a surprise announcement that the U.S. would initiate a 5 percent tariff on imports from Mexico unless Mexico does more to stop the cascade of people from Central America crossing its territory to reach the U.S. Trump said the tariffs would kick-in on June 10 and rise 5 percent per month, reach 25 percent by October.
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Jewish student abuse alleged, disrespecting Charlie Kirk, woke work
FBI arrests protester who threatened to kill ICE officer’s family at NJ detention center protest, Blanche says
Uber CEO: In the Future, You Won’t Own Your Car
Dan Sullivan vs. Dan Sullivan: GOP blasts clone candidate as lookalike enters Alaska Senate race
Virginia bus crash that killed five involved driver who doesn’t speak English, Sean Duffy says
Who is Christopher Cooper, the judge who blocked Trump’s plans for the Kennedy Center?
Dem Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed recounts smashing vodka bottle after beard criticism
GRAPHIC: Next Time Somebody Complains ICE Is Wearing Masks, Shut Them up with This Footage – ‘Your Whole ****ing Family Is Dead … I Have Your Face!’
Coast Guard ending race-based admissions for officer commissioning program under Trump DEI crackdown
Sheridan Gorman’s alleged illegal immigrant killer caught with weapon while in jail custody, police say
Minnesota Law Enforcement Travels to Texas to Arrest ICE Agent
CodePink’s Medea Benjamin confirms getting ‘serious’ Treasury Department query over Cuba trip
Obama-Appointed Judge Blocks Renaming of Kennedy Center and Closing It for Renovations
Purple Heart Vet Graham Platner Wished Death On Excoriates Him in Op-Ed: ‘Tim Walz on Steroids’
African Court Orders Trump Administration to Halt Its Ebola Quarantine Plan
On Tuesday in London, Trump reiterated those plans. He also said that he did not think Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill would act to block the tariffs, saying it would be “foolish” to do so.
Trump has told close aides in similar situations that he thinks it is often necessary to apply tariffs first and negotiate deals afterward in order to prove he is not bluffing. He sees tariffs as motivating other countries that want access to U.S. consumers to make concessions in negotiations.
Story cited here.
