Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Luis Videgaray Caso praised the relationship between his country and the United States, but said one item not on the table in the trade understanding between the two nations announced Monday was clear: Mexico will not pay for a wall.
“We just reached a trade understanding with the US, and the outlook for the relationship between our two countries is very positive,” he said in a Tweet. “We will NEVER pay for a wall, however. That has been absolutely clear from the very beginning.”
[Opinion: Bill funding Trump’s border wall includes common-sense immigration reforms]
We just reached a trade understanding with the US, and the outlook for the relationship between our two countries is very positive. We will NEVER pay for a wall, however. That has been absolutely clear from the very beginning.
— Luis Videgaray Caso (@LVidegaray) August 28, 2018
The bilateral deal, a replacement to the North American Free Trade Agreement that leaves out Canada, will require 75 percent of North American-made parts in a car or truck for the vehicle to qualify as duty-free, along with 40 percent of an auto to be made by workers who earn at least $16 per hour.
The wall, a campaign promise of President Trump’s, is estimated to cost $25 billion.
