Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said talks are already being planned between his country and the U.S. to resolve President Trump’s threat to place 5% tariffs, eventually rising to 25%, on all Mexican goods if it doesn’t crack down on mass immigration to the U.S.
“I inform you that the summit to resolve the US dispute with our country will be Wednesday in Washington. [Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo heads the US delegation,” Ebrard tweeted Friday. “We will be firm and we will defend the dignity of Mexico.”
Ebrard said in another tweet he had spoken with Trump adviser Jared Kushner and Pompeo in a telephone call Friday to kick off the negotiation process.
Earlier in the day, Ebrad tweeted that Mexico was not to blame for either the immigration problem or drugs smuggled into the U.S., and the tariff threat was unfair and didn’t make economic sense. “Mexico is the main trading partner of the United States. What they receive from our country are essential goods and services, productivity. The flow of migrants from Central America and other countries or the high consumption of narcotics are not the responsibility of Mexico,” he said.
The president said Thursday he would place a 5% tariff on all Mexican goods, increasing 5% every month until the “illegal immigration problem is remedied.” Business groups and GOP lawmakers have called on the president to back away from the threats, saying the tariffs would likely harm the U.S. economy without resolving the border issue.
Trump stood firm on the matter Friday, tweeting, “In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA. Mexico must take back their country from the drug lords and cartels. The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!”
