Mexico warns of tariffs, spurns U.S. aid under review by Trump

[rooster59]

Mexico warns of tariffs, spurns U.S. aid under review by Trump

By Frank Jack Daniel

 

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (C) listens as U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly (R) attends a joint news conference with Mexico's Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong (not pictured) at the foreign ministry in Mexico City, Mexico, February 23, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

 

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - An emboldened Mexico hardened its opposition to President Donald Trump on Friday by saying it would retaliate if the United States imposed a border tax and that it can afford to lose financial aid that might be pulled to pay for a border wall.

Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said Mexico could respond to any tax the United States were to unilaterally impose on imports from its southern neighbor to finance the wall with levies on select goods, aimed at U.S. regions most dependent on exports south of the border.

"Without a doubt, we have that possibility, and what we cannot do is remain with our arms crossed," Videgaray said in a radio interview. "The Mexican government would have to respond."

The statements by Videgaray and Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, who minimized the potential impact of the rumored loss of U.S. security aid, toughened the defiant tone from Mexico since President Enrique Pena Nieto last month canceled a trip to meet Trump over the wall dispute.

Mexicans are angry at Trump's calls for U.S. firms not to invest south of the border, insults to immigrants and threats to make Mexico finance the border wall. The peso currency has weakened on concerns he will hurt Latin America's No. 2 economy.

Pena Nieto had faced criticism he was too accommodating with Trump but got a much needed ratings boost after cancelling the summit. A plan to deport third-country nationals to Mexico fueled outrage this week.

Mexican officials were publicly blunt with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security John Kelly over Trump's immigration and trade proposals in a visit to Mexico on Thursday.

Osorio Chong told local radio that Mexican officials' rejection of Trump's bid to send non-Mexican illegal migrants from the United States to Mexico was "very clear."

"They asked us if (non-Mexican illegal immigrants) could be here while they are going through the legal process there. We said that there was...absolutely no way."

Videgaray said the trade strategy would replicate a 2009 campaign of retaliatory tariffs that helped Mexico win a dispute with the United States. On Wednesday, the minister mentioned Iowa, Texas and Wisconsin as states that could be targeted in a conversation with lawmakers leaked to two newspapers.

"This is not our preference," he said. "Mexico believes in free trade."

NO HANDOUTS PLEASE

A U.S. executive order on Jan. 25 that mandated the construction of a border wall also required government agencies to report the financial assistance they gave Mexico in the past five years, leading to speculation Trump wants to redirect the aid to pay for its construction.

Osorio Chong said on Friday that Mexico had no need for such financial aid from the United States, signaling that it would not come close to paying for the estimated $21.6 billion cost of the wall.

Like in other middle-income emerging economies, many in Mexico consider it humiliating to take aid from wealthy countries.

A large part of U.S. aid to Mexico comes through the Plan Merida program, under which the U.S. Congress allocated $2.6 billion to security assistance between 2008 and 2016.

Of that, $1.6 billion had been disbursed by November 2016, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.

"When they realize what's left of Merida, they will understand that it's not even that significant," Osorio Chong told local radio.

"We don't object to them moving these resources... Mexico now has its own capabilities," he said.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said on Friday it will accept proposals next month for the design of Trump's wall, a first step in picking vendors.

Videgaray said a meeting of Tillerson, Kelly and Pena Nieto in Mexico City was a short courtesy visit.

He said in a more substantial meeting of the ministers, Kelly told him that deportations of undocumented immigrants from the United States would not be militarized, after Trump characterized the process as a "military operation."

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-25

[darksidedog]

I am really looking forward to when Donald has to tell the American voters that they are going to get stuck with the bill for his stupid wall.

Maybe as he has so much money and tells about it all the time, he will reimburse the taxpayers from his own pocket.

He promised them that Mexico would pay, even after the Mexican President told him he could go eff himself, and that they would not. Why should the US tax payer foot the bill for Donalds lies?

I am totally on the Mexicans side with this one. The wall was not discussed with them. Costs were not discussed with them.

More importantly, one sovereign nation can NOT just tell another  what it is going to have to do.

Mexico has every right to refuse to pay, andto accept any person not Mexican, from being deported from the US to Mexico.

What are they? A half way point, who will foot the bill for sending people to their countries of origin?

Every other nation, including Thailand sends deportees directly to their home country. The US can't drop the problem on their neighbours lap.

Donald has no power whatsoever to impose on anyone outside of the USA.

I would hate for CNN to have to tell him that though. His nutter supporters would scream "fake news' and "propaganda."

 

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

l also required government agencies to report the financial assistance they gave Mexico in the past five years, leading to speculation Trump wants to redirect the aid to pay for its construction.

Gotcha. 

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Like in other middle-income emerging economies, many in Mexico consider it humiliating to take aid from wealthy countries.

I am sure the consideration part lasted all of 5 seconds. 

[JulesMad]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Maybe as he has so much money and tells about it all the time, he will reimburse the taxpayers from his own pocket.

trumpy will NEVER EVER reimburse usa taxpayers from his own pocket.... he is a taker not a giver....

[Jingthing]

There will never be a great wall of trump on the entire border and Mexico was never going to pay for it.

Where it's fitting on the long border there are ALREADY walls and fences. Some new sections of walls and fences will be and probably should be built. trump can brand that his wall. Sorted.

Mainstream Americans (including me) support sensible border security that includes a mix of tactics including walls, fences, electronic fences, etc. This hole wall thing was a marketing campaign game for trump. If he really lasts four years he'll have something to show that he can brag about for his reelection campaign (God forbid) but that's as far as it will ever go. 

[elgordo38]

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Mainstream Americans (including me)

Jingthing your a vanishing species. Everybody is polarized. So we will be back in the stone axe age. 

[Jingthing]

Just now, elgordo38 said:

Jingthing your a vanishing species. Everybody is polarized. So we will be back in the stone axe age. 

I get that but I still think there are some core basic values that majorities on both sides aren't all that far apart on. That doesn't help heal the great divide anytime soon though. 

[whatawonderfulday]

29 minutes ago, JulesMad said:

trumpy will NEVER EVER reimburse usa taxpayers from his own pocket.... he is a taker not a giver....

Apparently he was also a taker  in Russia with the water sports too

[elgordo38]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

I get that but I still think there are some core basic values that majorities on both sides aren't all that far apart on. That doesn't help heal the great divide anytime soon though. 

I agree the core basic values are there and not all that far apart. All both sides need is a size 18 boot in the posterior. 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, elgordo38 said:

I agree the core basic values are there and not all that far apart. All both sides need is a size 18 boot in the posterior. 

Ironically as personally distasteful as trump is, he had the chance to bring more unity as he comes from not the republicans or democrats, but from trump (whatever that is). If he was capable of really being president for all Americans rather than his obviously too narrow hard core base. But all indications now is trump will not unify either out of incompetence, intention, or both. 

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

A large part of U.S. aid to Mexico comes through the Plan Merida program, under which the U.S. Congress allocated $2.6 billion to security assistance between 2008 and 2016.

Okay, no money to Mexico for security assistance and Mexico withdraws its security forces along the US border, shuts down control of  undocumented aliens entering Southern Mexico heading for the US border and ceases drug interdiction into the US. Enjoy your isolation America.

[Kiwiken]

Perhaps the Mexicans can make up for any lost US Aid by Charging a fee for Russian and Chinese Missiles to be stationed on the Border

[Grubster]

When did we not have a divided nation anyway? I hope Trump cut most if not all money's given to foreign countries, builds the wall, applies equal tariffs, and stops sending raw resources to other countries to be developed into products and sent back.

[TravelerEastWest]

1 hour ago, Grubster said:

When did we not have a divided nation anyway? I hope Trump cut most if not all money's given to foreign countries, builds the wall, applies equal tariffs, and stops sending raw resources to other countries to be developed into products and sent back.

Sounds good.

 

Although still not sure how useful the wall would be.

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, Grubster said:

When did we not have a divided nation anyway? I hope Trump cut most if not all money's given to foreign countries, builds the wall, applies equal tariffs, and stops sending raw resources to other countries to be developed into products and sent back.

what are "equal tariffs"?

[Dustdevil]

All the Trump administration has to do is push Congress for legislation (and they'd probably go along with it) to tax remittances to Mexico. I don't see a problem with that. After all, half of those remittances come from illegal immigrants. Why should they get to just walk across a remote part of the border and then send dollars to another country? The Filipinos' US remittances represent 1/3 of all remittances back to their country, and they're all here legally, simply because there's an ocean between the two countries. Many Chinese work hard to enter legally on a work visa.

Edited February 25, 2017 by Dustdevil

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

All the Trump administration has to do is push Congress for legislation (and they'd probably go along with it) to tax remittances to Mexico. I don't see a problem with that. After all, half of those remittances come from illegal immigrants. Why should they get to just walk across a remote part of the border and then send dollars to another country? The Filipinos' US remittances represent 1/3 of all remittances back to their country, and they're all here legally, simply because there's an ocean between the two countries. Many Chinese work hard to enter legally on a work visa.

How about fining the people that hire them instead? Hmm? 

[Dustdevil]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

How about fining the people that hire them instead? Hmm? 

Not instead--in addition to a remittance tax.

Edited February 25, 2017 by Dustdevil

[Jingthing]

51 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

Not instead--in addition to a remittance tax.

Never heard that proposal from trump.

[Golden Brown]

Well done to Mr Trump being one of the few world leader who has the bottle to do anything about illegal immigration.   Too many liberals here for my liking who are snowflakes.  America getting their border back and quite right and not to worry about these liberal minded fascists.   Just wished the UK had a tough leader like him on immigrants.   We are too worried about the criticism that comes along with such policies.   Sadly, other than Nigel Farage we have no strong political advocates.   There are many, many supporters of Donald Trump throughout the world, people who are sick and tired of listening to liberals thinking we all have to agree with them!

[kmj]

2 hours ago, Golden Brown said:

Well done to Mr Trump being one of the few world leader who has the bottle to do anything about illegal immigration.   Too many liberals here for my liking who are snowflakes.  America getting their border back and quite right and not to worry about these liberal minded fascists.   Just wished the UK had a tough leader like him on immigrants.   We are too worried about the criticism that comes along with such policies.   Sadly, other than Nigel Farage we have no strong political advocates.   There are many, many supporters of Donald Trump throughout the world, people who are sick and tired of listening to liberals thinking we all have to agree with them!

As a Trump supporter I thought you username would be Golden Shower not Golden Brown 555

[maewang99]

Mexico.  it's not The Wall that comes to my mind. 

how about this updated list. 

notice who is right next to Mexico.  but shouldn't even be in the top 70 let alone top 12. supposedly according to the Everything Thai is Bad Crowd.

 

 1  China              3,029,967
 2  Japan              1,188,387
 3  Switzerland          640,595 
 4  Saudi Arabia         535,977
 5  Taiwan               434,204
 6  Republic of Korea    366,307 
 7  Brazil               362,506 
 8  India                340,314
 9  Russia               317,548
10  Singapore            246,364 
11  Mexico               173,536
12  Thailand             166,157

 

FX reserves not including gold.  YE 2016.  millions of US dollars.

US dollars not Thai Baht.

something for the Thai Baht is too Overvalued Crowd to ponder.  as well as anyone who gets a fixed US dollar based pension... yes?.... and is not hedged.  read between the lines of the latest BOT narratives.

 

those are dollars that were not bid on the home currency. for Thailand.... that would be the Thai Baht. 

 

the post Tom Yung Gung trendline might resume (it's always a might or maybe...nobody ever knows for sure, not even the "Evil" George Soros.).

 


 

Edited February 26, 2017 by maewang99

[simple1]

On 25/02/2017 at 11:52 PM, Dustdevil said:

All the Trump administration has to do is push Congress for legislation (and they'd probably go along with it) to tax remittances to Mexico. I don't see a problem with that. After all, half of those remittances come from illegal immigrants. Why should they get to just walk across a remote part of the border and then send dollars to another country? The Filipinos' US remittances represent 1/3 of all remittances back to their country, and they're all here legally, simply because there's an ocean between the two countries. Many Chinese work hard to enter legally on a work visa.

Asians Now Outpace Mexicans In Terms of Undocumented Growth.

 

Currently an estimated 1.5 million Asians now living illegally in the US.

 

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/08/asians-now-outpace-mexicans-in-terms-of-undocumented-growth/432603/

Edited February 26, 2017 by simple1

[Srikcir]

On 2/25/2017 at 8:52 PM, Dustdevil said:

 I don't see a problem with that

Do you see a problem violating American state and federal laws against theft? How about going further to violate laws against suspected undocumented immigrants such as extrajudicial murder, torture, kidnapping, denial of due process of law? 

 

Because of the US Constitution that applies to "We the People" (does not state "American Citizens"), states and the federal government cannot legislatively target within the US any specific segment of society according to nationality, race, religion, etc. for injury. That means the US cannot constitutionally tax or fine suspected undocumented immigrants who send their money outside of the US excepting if such funds were obtained illegally (ie., theft, illegal substance dealing, sale of stolen property) or for income tax avoidance. To be constitutional I believe that the US would have to tax ALL funds sent outside the US regardless of destination or purpose. Call it a monetary export tax. I'm sure US corporations and the 1% most wealthy people will not appreciate such a tax.

[Kiwiken]

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Do you see a problem violating American state and federal laws against theft? How about going further to violate laws against suspected undocumented immigrants such as extrajudicial murder, torture, kidnapping, denial of due process of law? 

 

Because of the US Constitution that applies to "We the People" (does not state "American Citizens"), states and the federal government cannot legislatively target within the US any specific segment of society according to nationality, race, religion, etc. for injury. That means the US cannot constitutionally tax or fine suspected undocumented immigrants who send their money outside of the US excepting if such funds were obtained illegally (ie., theft, illegal substance dealing, sale of stolen property) or for income tax avoidance. To be constitutional I believe that the US would have to tax ALL funds sent outside the US regardless of destination or purpose. Call it a monetary export tax. I'm sure US corporations and the 1% most wealthy people will not appreciate such a tax.

Yes implement a 15% Foreign financial transaction tax. Of course this will have to include all US monies repatriated to Foreign Investors and profits of Foreign based US Companies, Pensions and Capital Movements by the wealthy. Give Foreign Investors who can prove they have reinvested their profits for one year after they are made a 10% rebate.  Or do you only want a tax on Mexicans? Just to keep it nice and racially targeted?