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DONALD TRUMP'S AMERICA
Donald Trump drops threat of trade tariffs against Mexico after reaching immigration deal
UPDATED ABOUT 6 HOURS AGO
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Donald Trump tweeted that Mexico had agreed to work to "stem the tide of migration".
AP: ALEX BRANDON
President Donald Trump says he has suspended plans to impose tariffs on Mexico, tweeting that the country "has agreed to take strong measures" to stem the flow of Central American migrants into the United States.
Key points:
- Mr Trump said the the tariffs "are hereby indefinitely suspended"
- On Friday, spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said tariffs were going forward on Monday
- White House officials say few in the Trump administration believe the tariffs are a good idea
"I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico," Mr Trump tweeted on Friday night, saying the "tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the US on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended".
He said Mexico had agreed to work to "stem the tide of migration through Mexico, and to our southern border" and said those steps would "greatly reduce, or eliminate, illegal immigration coming from Mexico and into the United States".
He said details would be released soon by the State Department.
I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico. The Tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the U.S. on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended. Mexico, in turn, has agreed to take strong measures to....
....stem the tide of Migration through Mexico, and to our Southern Border. This is being done to greatly reduce, or eliminate, Illegal Immigration coming from Mexico and into the United States. Details of the agreement will be released shortly by the State Department. Thank you!
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The tweet marked a change in tone from earlier on Friday, when his spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, told reporters in Ireland before Mr Trump took off: "Our position has not changed. The tariffs are going forward as of Monday."
Mr Trump has often said unpredictability helps him negotiate.
A tax on all Mexican goods, which would increase every month up to 25 per cent under Mr Trump's plan, would have had enormous economic implications for both countries.
Americans bought $US378 billion ($540 billion) worth of Mexican imports last year, led by cars and auto parts.
Many members of Mr Trump's Republican Party and business allies have urged him to reconsider — or at least postpone — actually implementing the tariffs as talks continue, citing the potential harm to American consumers and manufactures.
Talks off to shaky start
US and Mexican officials held a third day of talks at the US State Department trying to hash out a deal that would satisfy Mr Trump's demand that Mexico dramatically increase its efforts to crack down on migrants.
The talks were said to be focused, in part, on attempting to reach a compromise on changes that would make it harder for migrants who pass through Mexico from other countries to claim asylum in the US, those monitoring the situation said.
Mexican migrants in limbo
Donald Trump's tough stance on illegal immigration has left thousands stranded in Tijuana.
Mexico has opposed such a change but appeared open to considering a potential compromise that could include exceptions or waivers for different types of cases.
Mr Trump has nonetheless embraced tariffs as a political tool he can use to force countries to comply with his demands — in this case on his signature issue of immigration.
He appeared poised earlier on Friday to invoke an emergency declaration that would allow him to put the tariffs into effect if that is his final decision, according to people monitoring the talks.
"If negotiations continue to go well," Mr Trump "can turn that off at some point over the weekend," Marc Short, Vice-President Mike Pence's chief of staff, told reporters.
Talks had gotten off to a shaky start on Wednesday, as the US once again pressed Mexico to step up enforcement on its southern border with Guatemala and to enter into a "safe third country agreement" overhauling its asylum system.
But as talks progressed on Thursday, US officials began to grow more optimistic, with Mr Short reporting Mexican "receptivity" to potential asylum changes.
Trump's trade showdown
It's almost inconceivable that the immediate future of the global economy hangs on the erratic whims of Donald Trump, writes Ian Verrender.
Still, he said there was "a long way to go in that particular piece."
Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said on Thursday his country had agreed to deploy 6,000 National Guard troops to its border with Guatemala to help control the flow of migrants as part of its concessions.
He tweeted late Friday that there would be no "tariff application on Monday".
Beyond Trump and several White House advisers, few in his administration believe the tariffs are a good idea, according to officials familiar with internal deliberations.
AP
POSTED ABOUT 7 HOURS AGO
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