In a significant move, US President Donald Trump has provided immediate relief to Mexico by halting the imposition of tariffs for a month. As per the information, Trump reached this decision following a "friendly and constructive" conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The announcement was made via Trump's post on social media platform X.
"I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately deploy 10,000 Mexican soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States. These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants into our country," Trump stated in his post.
He further mentioned that both sides had mutually agreed to suspend the anticipated tariffs for a one-month period. "During this time, we will engage in discussions led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, along with high-level Mexican representatives. I look forward to participating in these talks with President Sheinbaum as we strive to secure a deal beneficial for both nations," he added.
Tariffs were set to take effect at midnight
Prior to this agreement, a 25% tariff on Mexican imports was scheduled to go into effect at midnight. Over the weekend, Trump also announced new tariffs on Canada and China. Earlier today, he disclosed that he had a telephonic conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with another discussion planned later in the day as the deadline for imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian imports approached.
US tariffs on Canada and Mexico
On Sunday, Trump said that the tariffs would lift if Canada and Mexico did more to crack down on illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling, though there are no clear benchmarks. Trump also said the US can no longer run a trade imbalance with its two largest trade partners. Mexico was facing a 25% tariff, while Canada would be charged 25% on its imports to the United States and 10% on its energy products. China faces a 10% additional tariff due to its role in the making and selling of fentanyl, the White House said.
(With inputs from AP)