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White House Wants To Avoid Tariffs On Mexican Goods

Mexico is negotiating with the White House to avoid President Trump’s tariffs on Mexican goods, which Trump says will start at 5% and continue to increase as long as the crisis at the Southern Border persists. So far, the White House is “encouraged” by the talks, according to Vice President Mike Pence.

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s foreign secretary, met with Trump administration officials at the White House on Thursday. While both sides say they’ve made steps in the right direction, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Mexico’s plan for dealing with illegal immigration across the Southern border still isn’t enough.

“[We] made it very clear that our neighbors to the south, Mexico, must do more to end the tide of illegal immigration that is besetting our southern border,” Pompeo told reporters in Pennsylvania.

The U.S. wants Mexico to close its own border with Guatemala and stop the flow of drugs across the border by cracking down on cartels and smuggling rings. Pompeo said Mexico has agreed to “small concessions.” The Trump administration is demanding more. For now, it looks like Trump will follow through on imposing tariffs.

“It looks like we’re moving toward this path of tariffs because what we’ve seen so far is that the Mexicans, what they’re proposing, is simply not enough,” White House spokeswoman Mercedes Schlapp said on Thursday.