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.
Rep Maxwell Frost allegedly assaulted at Sundance Film Festival in racially-charged incident
Frey, Klobuchar call for ICE to leave Minneapolis following deadly CBP shooting in city
Trump Resurrects Reagan-Era Pro-Life Policy, Punishes and Defunds Foreign Abortion Operations, Gender Madness
Trump to skip Super Bowl in California, criticizes performers Bad Bunny and Green Day
Alex Pretti, 37, identified as man fatally shot by Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis
Anti-ICE agitator allegedly bites off federal officer’s finger during Minneapolis attack
‘Loyal soldier’: A day on the trail with JD Vance, Trump’s ‘human Swiss Army Knife’
READ IT: Bondi sends letter to Gov Walz warning Minnesota’s immigration policies endanger agents
Ever Wonder Why Even Trump Can’t Get Criminal Dems Arrested? They’re Using the ‘Blue Slip’ Trick to Stay Out of Jail and It Has to End
Trump brags about secret weapon that was key to Maduro capture: ‘The discombobulator’
Trump cites armed suspect, lack of police support following fatal Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis
Pritzker urges ‘unified response’ from Democrat, Republican governors after Border Patrol shoots armed man
Elizabeth Smart reveals her kidnapper tried to abduct her teen cousin as his ‘next wife’
Breaking: Armed Illegal Wanted for Assault Shot By Border Patrol in Minneapolis After Attacking Officer, Riots Follow
Chaos Erupts in Minneapolis as Leftists Riot in the Streets Over the Death of Armed Illegal Criminal Who Attacked Officer
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.
