President Donald Trump threatened to immediately double tariffs on Mexico if the country does not stop migrant caravans heading toward the United States, according to a Thursday Truth Social post.
“Huge CARAVANS are forming and beginning their illegal march through Mexico,” Trump wrote. “But they will not be accepted! MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW…”
Trump did not provide further details on the potential tariff hike, including how the duty increase would be installed.
During a Thursday morning press conference, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized that no migrant caravans have reached the border during the current Trump administration and said Mexico has an active role in that.
She acknowledged two migrant caravans have formed recently, though she did not specify when. One caravan, she noted, began with 500 or 600 people, but has since fallen to 100 or less. She took credit for those falling numbers, saying Mexico's representatives actively inform migrants of the difficulty of crossing the U.S., which leads many to abandon the quest.
“Then we look for a way for them to securely return to their country, or if someone wants to stay in Mexico, under certain conditions they can do so in a defined place,” Sheinbaum said in Spanish. “But the great majority return to their country of origin once they recognize that, well, they can't or they won't be able to cross the Mexican border with the United States.”
Trump associated the formation of caravans with the timing of the results of last week’s midterm elections.
“Here we go again! With the perceived loss by the Republicans in the Midterms - I WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT- the INVASION of our Country is taking place again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
With a Democrat-led Congress, the Trump administration’s tariff policies could be challenged. Specifically, the progress of three bills — S. 5390 and S. 1272 in the Senate, and H.R. 7557 in the House — could restrict the president’s tariff power.
Already, industry stakeholders have voiced recommendations following the midterm elections. For instance, manufacturing advocates said that trade enforcement has been positive for domestic aluminum, steel, glass and solar infrastructures, according to a report published by the Alliance for American Manufacturing. Rolling back Trump’s enforcement measures “simply because of who advanced them. That would be a serious mistake,” the alliance president Scott Paul said.
The U.S. and Mexico have been actively negotiating trade terms as part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement review. Mexico is currently subject to a 10% tariff following a forced labor probe launched in March. The U.S. also launched a probe on manufacturing production and capacity policies in several countries in March — including Mexico.
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