West Palm Beach, Florida. — President-elect Donald Trump declared a victory Wednesday in stopping illegal immigration through Mexico after speaking with that country’s leader. But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested that Mexico was already doing its part and had no interest in closing its borders.
The two spoke just days after Trump threatened to impose drastic new tariffs on Canada and Mexico as part of his efforts to combat illegal immigration and drugs – a threat that sparked a quick and terse response from Sheinbaum, who said that any U.S. deal tariffs would be respected by reciprocal measures of his government – emphasizing: “There is no subordination here”.
Sheinbaum said Thursday that she did not discuss tariffs during the call with Trump.
Trump said in his social media posts that Sheinbaum had “agreed to stop migration through Mexico and into the United States, effectively closing our southern border.”
Sheinbaum, however, noted on social media that she “explained” to Trump that Mexico was already “taking care of” migrant caravans, calling it a “great conversation” but indicating no major change in policy. of his government.
“I explained to him the global strategy that Mexico has followed to face the migratory phenomenon, while respecting human rights. Thanks to this, migrants and caravans are assisted before they reach the border “wrote the Mexican leader. “We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”
Trump’s border posts on social media — describing what he called “a wonderful conversation with Sheinbaum and suggesting that Mexico had made concessions following his tariff threat — moved financial markets.
Even if the proposed tariffs do not materialize, Trump could argue to his supporters that the mere possibility of implementing them is an effective policy tool and continue to rely on tariff threats.
But the only new policy clearly discussed by either leader in their social media posts Wednesday was Trump’s promise to launch a new national ad campaign warning of the dangers of fentanyl use.
Sheinbaum said in her message that she and Trump “also spoke about strengthening cooperation on security issues, within the framework of our sovereignty, and the campaign we are leading to prevent the use of fentanyl.”
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In his third quick post on his own Truth Social platform about their conversation, the president-elect said he would “work on a large-scale ad campaign in the United States, explaining how bad Fentanyl is for people – Millions of lives. being so needlessly destroyed, by the end of the campaign everyone will know how horrible this drug is.
Illegal migration across the Mexican border is declining in part because the Biden administration has secured enhanced cooperation from Mexico — the kind of cooperation Trump appears to be celebrating.
Arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen 40% from last December’s record high. U.S. officials primarily attribute Mexico’s vigilance to rail yards and highway checkpoints.
Driven by growing pressure from the United States to prevent migrants from heading north, Mexican authorities have decided in recent years to send them to southern Mexico, a strategy seen by experts as an attempt to exhaust the migrants until they give up.
Neither side clarified in their social media posts on Wednesday their firm intention to impose new tariffs. But their implementation Could Fuel Higher Prices for U.S. Consumers and slow economic growth, which could blow up the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal that was finalized in 2020 during Trump’s previous term in the White House.
Trump said Monday he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, which would be one of his first executive orders when he takes office on January 20. He also proposed an additional 10% tariff on China linked to its exports. materials used in the production of fentanyl.
Through September, the United States imported $378.9 billion worth of goods from Mexico, $322.2 billion from China and $309.3 billion from Canada.
