Trump calls off tariffs on Mexico after deal on migration

By Roberta Rampton and Diego Oré

 

A street vendor is seen among trucks waiting in queue for border customs control, to cross into the U.S., at the Otay border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico June 7, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Duenes

 

WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday Mexico's government had reached a deal with the United States to avert a tariff war by pledging to take "strong measures" to contain the migration of mostly Central Americans crossing the southern U.S. border.

 

Trump had threatened to impose 5% import tariffs on all Mexican goods from Monday if Mexico did not agree to his demands to tighten its borders. His announcement of a deal came after three days of Mexico-U.S. negotiations in Washington.

 

"The Tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the U.S. on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended," Trump said on Twitter on Friday evening.

 

(For graphic on border apprehensions and U.S.-Mexico trade, click https://tmsnrt.rs/2Khd82D)

 

"Mexico, in turn, has agreed to take strong measures to 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," Trump added.

 

Details of the agreement would be released shortly by the U.S. State Department, Trump said.

 

U.S. border officers apprehended more than 132,000 people crossing from Mexico in May, the highest monthly level since 2006. Trump, who has railed against what he described as an "invasion," had threatened to impose levies rising to 25% unless Mexico addressed the problem.

 

Mexico made concessions during the talks, offering to send 6,000 troops to its southern border with Guatemala, but has said it wants to see a long-term solution that would involve economic development aid.

 

Mexico had prepared a list of possible retaliatory tariffs targeting products from agricultural and industrial states regarded as Trump's electoral base, a tactic China has also used with an eye towards the Republican president's 2020 re-election bid.

 

Imposing tariffs on Mexico would have left the United States fighting trade wars with two of its three largest trading partners and would further unnerve financial markets already on edge about a global economic slowdown.

 

The United States slapped tariffs of up to 25% on $200 billion (£157 billion) in Chinese imports last month, prompting Beijing to levy its own tariffs on $60 billion in American goods. Trump said on Thursday he would decide later this month whether to hit Beijing with tariffs on an additional list of $300 billion in Chinese goods.

 

Economists say two trade disputes could damage supply lines and pinch consumers at a time when the global economic expansion that followed the 2008 financial crisis has started to sour and the risk of recession has risen.

 

Even the United States, one of the more solid performers on the economic stage, would not be immune to the downdraft.

 

The U.S. Labor Department reported on Friday that job growth slowed sharply in May and wages rose less than expected, raising fears that a loss of momentum in economic activity could be spreading to the labour market.

 

U.S. business groups were generally opposed to the tariffs, warning they would raise costs for companies and lead to higher prices for American consumers. Trump's fellow Republicans were also not keen on the prospect of a two-front trade war.

 

(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Makini Brice and Doina Chiacu in Washington, Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles, Diego Ore and Anthony Esposito in Mexico City, and Caroline Stauffer in Chicago; Writing by Paul Simao and Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Susan Thomas, Grant McCool, Sonya Hepinstall and Leslie Adler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-08

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Some how I’m not surprised guess he realized the gop weren’t going to let him get away with it

1 minute ago, rooster59 said:

by pledging to take "strong measures" to contain the migration

 

Ah yes, no doubt a "win".

 

 

But it is good to see that everyone (economists, WH, family, staff, republicans, outside "friends") close to trump was able to get through to him on the folly of this endeavor.

 

Imagine Stephen Miller is self-medicating though.

 

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Ah yes, no doubt a "win".

 

 

But it is good to see that everyone (economists, WH, family, staff, republicans, outside "friends") close to trump was able to get through to him on the folly of this endeavor.

 

Imagine Stephen Miller is self-medicating though.

 

 

 

 

Read the article. He says he has now made a deal. We know as yet nothing about this, try to keep an open mind instaed of jumping to conclusions. 

 

6 minutes ago, cooked said:

Read the article. He says he has now made a deal. We know as yet nothing about this, try to keep an open mind instaed of jumping to conclusions. 

What "conclusions" do you think I jumped to"? Calling it a "win"? Note the quotation marks.

 

Of course, I read the article.

 

20 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Details of the agreement would be released shortly by the U.S. State Department, Trump said.

We'll see but suspect these will be "talking points" rather than "policy". Oh the horror, an opinion.

 

 

 

 

21 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Mexico made concessions during the talks, offering to send 6,000 troops to its southern border with Guatemala, but has said it wants to see a long-term solution that would involve economic development aid.

 

When there's a "but"...

 

 

Mexico threw trump a milk-bone - we'll see if it will slake the appetite of the MAGA crowds - so as to give him an out on this folly. He was more than halfway down the gang-plank.

 

Trump is doing what he promised the electorate, trying to keep illegals from entering the USA.. 135,00 in this last month of May..How many of them were drug pushers, rapists, murderers,pimps. sex slave traders?  Nobody knows.. So let them all apply for visas legally like hundreds of thousands of other non Americans.

34 minutes ago, cooked said:

Read the article. He says he has now made a deal. We know as yet nothing about this, try to keep an open mind instaed of jumping to conclusions. 

You do know Donald has lied over 10,000 times since taking office so we are just a wee bit shy believing anything he says

The Mexican understand force when it hits them in the pockets, for too long now Mexico has  Aided and abetted 10ns of thousand of south america people to flood through their porous borders and enter the US unimpeded for what reason really nobody knows, so it's good that now the Mexican knows that there's a price to pay if they will continue...

6 minutes ago, james 55555 said:

So let them all apply for visas legally like hundreds of thousands of other non Americans.

Just like the thousands who arrive by air on visa waiver and never leave you mean?

1 minute ago, Tug said:

You do know Donald has lied over 10,000 times since taking office so we are just a wee bit shy believing anything he says

Fake Pres?

2 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Fake Pres?

I don’t know you would have to ask putin lol

16 minutes ago, james 55555 said:

So let them all apply for visas legally like hundreds of thousands of other non Americans.

 

Yes, like how Melania got her "Einstein" Visa - Yes, I know she was a "Quantum Modelling" expert, and how her parents got their visas, and Ivanna (after working illegally in the U.S. and having anchor babies like Don Jr. and Eric) got hers?

 

trump's properties avail themselves of undocumented workers, and also seem to get all the H1-B visas they need, while not hiring AMERICANS.

 

I guess I'm no longer staggered by the ignorance people display when defending trump's random immigration policies, if you can call a tariff a policy?

 

 

20 minutes ago, ezzra said:

The Mexican understand force when it hits them in the pockets, for too long now Mexico has  Aided and abetted 10ns of thousand of south america people to flood through their porous borders and enter the US unimpeded for what reason really nobody knows, so it's good that now the Mexican knows that there's a price to pay if they will continue...

There's this weird belief among Trump supporters that Mexico can do what the US can't - sesal its borders. That somehow if Mexico were only to put its foot down, illegal immigration would slow dramatically. Not only does Mexico have more border to contend with, but it's got a lot few resources to assign to it. In addition it has its own huge crime problems and corruption is rampant in the police and armed services. But somehow, despite this, it's going to be able to clamp down on illegal immigration.

Edited June 8, 20197 yr by bristolboy

9 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

There's this weird belief among Trump supporters that Mexico can do what the US can't - sesal its borders. That somehow if Mexico were only to put its foot down, illegal immigration would slow dramatically. Not only does Mexico have more border to contend with, but it's got a lot few resources to assign to it. In addition it has its own huge crime problems and corruption is rampant in the police and armed services. But somehow, despite this, it's going to be able to clamp down on illegal immigration.

 

That's mostly true, but I've got a feeling that the corruption money to be made on Mexico's Southern border is much less than the corruption money to be made on Mexico's Northern border. It's the Northern border they'll want to keep operating at full steam.

19 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

That's mostly true, but I've got a feeling that the corruption money to be made on Mexico's Southern border is much less than the corruption money to be made on Mexico's Northern border. It's the Northern border they'll want to keep operating at full steam.

Even if that is the case, and I'm not saying it is, that still doesn't mean that they're going to be able to severely curtail the influx of illegal immigrants coming over the southern border. Unless you believe that Mexico has the resources to do that.

4 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Even if that is the case, and I'm not saying it is, that still doesn't mean that they're going to be able to severely curtail the influx of illegal immigrants coming over the southern border. Unless you believe that Mexico has the resources to do that.

I don't know if they do or not, but I'll bet they can now spot a "caravan".

59 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Fake Pres?

 

43 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Yes, like how Melania got her "Einstein" Visa - Yes, I know she was a "Quantum Modelling" expert, and how her parents got their visas, and Ivanna (after working illegally in the U.S. and having anchor babies like Don Jr. and Eric) got hers?

 

trump's properties avail themselves of undocumented workers, and also seem to get all the H1-B visas they need, while not hiring AMERICANS.

 

I guess I'm no longer staggered by the ignorance people display when defending trump's random immigration policies, if you can call a tariff a policy?

 

 

The Dems have refused at every turn to even discuss finding a solution, and Obama did a much worse job even though he did deport millions of illegals. He is doing what he can, he didn't make those election policies and then ignore them after the elections like most politicians in the past have done. 

8 minutes ago, cooked said:

The Dems have refused at every turn to even discuss finding a solution, and Obama did a much worse job even though he did deport millions of illegals. He is doing what he can, he didn't make those election policies and then ignore them after the elections like most politicians in the past have done. 

Deflection and denial. Awful look, but on you? It looks mahevelous.

 

trump had full control for two years: did he build a wall? did he help get immigration reform passed?

 

Spoiler alert: No.

 

He failed at health care repeal, succeeding in tax cuts.

 

 

 

 

Here are the "details" as released by the State Department. About as vague as can be. Trump caved. I knew it. https://www.state.gov/u-s-mexico-joint-declaration/

11 minutes ago, cooked said:

 

The Dems have refused at every turn to even discuss finding a solution, and Obama did a much worse job even though he did deport millions of illegals. He is doing what he can, he didn't make those election policies and then ignore them after the elections like most politicians in the past have done. 

Actually, Democrats have proposed solutions. For instance increasing aid to guatemala, honduras, and el salvador. Instead the Trump administration slashed it.

2 minutes ago, zydeco said:

Trump caved. I knew it.

Everyone knows it, well except for you know, "them".

 

2 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Actually, Democrats have proposed solutions. For instance increasing aid to guatemala, honduras, and el salvador. Instead the Trump administration slashed it.

Whoa bristolboy, what's with all the "FACTS"? You've got be careful with those, can't have too many red-hats exploding.

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Deflection and denial. Awful look, but on you? It looks mahevelous.

 

trump had full control for two years: did he build a wall? did he help get immigration reform passed?

 

Spoiler alert: No.

 

He failed at health care repeal, succeeding in tax cuts.

 

 

 

 

So if I understand you correctly, the Dems would have done better? Well probably yes because the Reps would have tried to reach an agreement, but we all know that the Dems would have done NOTHING AT ALL about this.

He tried to do it through Congress, blocked. Now he is trying by other means. I don't support Trump 100% but this blind refusal to see anything good at all about what he is trying to do, against tremendous resistance by the bureaucrats and Deep State. 

We'll see if Trump caved. The memo says that asylum seekers can be returned to Mexico to await adjudication. It also says the US promises to speed up adjudication. The question is whether asylum seekers will wait in Mexico or just find some other way to cross the border. Now that it's summer border crossing will decrease. The effect of this agreement won't be fully known until the autumn.

Bluff, bluff, bluff. As I said days ago in another post, this was nothing more than one more Trump bluff. He caved by accepting a loosey, goosey deal, just as he always does.

But I'm glad he caved because he sure as hell rattled business confidence with this latest bluff.

I know first hand because my Canadian business sure took a hit for a couple weeks. Now I can expect a return to normal next week, until the next Trump bluff is pulled.

Jesus! I'm getting older way too fast but I look forward to seeing the end of this jerk.

 

"Are we tired of winning yet?"

4 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

We'll see if Trump caved. The memo says that asylum seekers can be returned to Mexico to await adjudication. It also says the US promises to speed up adjudication. The question is whether asylum seekers will wait in Mexico or just find some other way to cross the border. Now that it's summer border crossing will decrease. The effect of this agreement won't be fully known until the autumn.

It is hard to tell from all the vague terminology--"unprecedented steps," "taking decisive action," "strengthen bilateral cooperation," "expected results", "further action." None of those terms are specified. It's meaningless. The only thing to come out of it was: "The United States will immediately expand the implementation of the existing Migrant Protection Protocols across its entire Southern Border. This means that 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."

 

This seems to be saying that Trump entirely caved on the notion that he was going to require asylum seekers to register in Mexico first. Now, they get the right to get into the immigration courts in the US before they are supposedly sent to spend time waiting things out in Mexico (yeah, right). Trump it seems gave up everything in hoping he can turn Mexico into his detention center. And the question of what happens with unaccompanied minors, which is at the heart of this entire mess, isn't addressed at all. Are they forced back into Mexico? Or are they allowed to remain in the US? Because the "existing Migrant Protection Protocols" allow them stay with their "families."

25 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Actually, Democrats have proposed solutions. For instance increasing aid to guatemala, honduras, and el salvador. Instead the Trump administration slashed it.

 

Slash me off some of this:

https://www.apnews.com/0fcda32812024680ad98676379c47233

6 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

Slash me off some of this:

https://www.apnews.com/0fcda32812024680ad98676379c47233

And subsequently to that there was this:

U.S. ending aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras over migrants

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-aid/u-s-ending-aid-to-el-salvador-guatemala-honduras-over-migrants-idUSKCN1RB0OR

And then there was this:

 

https://news.yahoo.com/mexico-asks-us-hasten-5-8-billion-aid-200452178.html

Doesn't seem like the US is in a hurry to fulfull that promise. Does it?

History says nations fighting wars on two fronts are bound to lose. I guess that's true of trade wars as well.

Removal of 5% tariffs on Mexican goods is a cold hard fact. Promises to beef up control of the southern border of Mexico is more a wish list.

I would say the Mexicans won.

2 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

Just like the thousands who arrive by air on visa waiver and never leave you mean?

Is this per day, week, month or year?

 

Source for your figures or just another fake poster.

 

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

History says nations fighting wars on two fronts are bound to lose. I guess that's true of trade wars as well.

Removal of 5% tariffs on Mexican goods is a cold hard fact. Promises to beef up control of the southern border of Mexico is more a wish list.

I would say the Mexicans won.

I think the jury is out on that one. They have agreed to allow asylum seekers to stay in Mexico. Whether that ultimately reduces immigration is yet to be seen. Those people fleeing the Central American countries aren't coming to the USA to see Disneyworld.