Washington: President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he is pausing new tariff hikes on imports from Mexico after a phone call with President Claudia Sheinbaum.
On Wednesday, he had ordered a pause on the hikes applying to automobiles.“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement,” Trump said on Truth Social. “This Agreement is until April 2nd.”
He said further: “I did this as an accommodation, and out of respect for President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border, both in terms of stopping Illegal Aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping Fentanyl. Thank you to President Sheinbaum for your hard work and cooperation!”
These changes came two days after the US levied a 25 per cent hike on tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico for their failure or refusal to stop the flow of illegal migrants and fentanyl in the US and 20 per cent in two separate announcement on goods from China for not stopping fentanyl at the country of origin for most of the opioid entering the US eventually.
Trump had a telephone conversation with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday but announced no real relief. Instead, he said in posts on Truth Social that Canada had not done enough and, for food measure, he taunted the prime minister once again by addressing him as “governor”, which he has been doing with an offer some see it as a threat, to Canada to become the 51st state of the US.
New reports suggested Trump could announce exemptions for Canada as well later in the day.
Trump has threatened to announce a system of reciprocal tariffs on April 2, under which the US will levy tariffs on imports from trading partner countries that match rates imposed by them on American goods. He has frequently mentioned India as among these targeted countries.
(IANS)
