Mexico, USA Talk on Immigration, but under Tariff Threats

Mexico-United States dialogue on immigration but with tariff threats. Photo: Prensa Latina.

Washington: Delegations from the United States and Mexico are continuing on Thursday their talks in Washington in order to find some alternatives to reduce the flow of immigrants to the common border, Prensa Latina reports.

The talks, amid US President Donald Trump's threats to impose a five percent tariff on Mexican products as of June 10 and gradually increase them to 25 percent on October 1, had a first round on Wednesday at the White House.

Trump, who made the threats on May 30, intends with that measure, which is rejected by diverse voices, that Mexico carries out some actions to reverse this situation in the border area.

On Wednesday, US Vice President Mike Pence met with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, in the executive mansion behind closed doors. The head of US diplomacy Mike Pompeo and other representatives of the two nations also participated in the meeting.

According to the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs, each party defended their arguments firmly, and just as we expected, none of the two countries agree completely during the two-hour meeting.

Therefore, Ebrard added in a press conference at the Mexican Embassy in Washington D.C., that it was decided to continue this Thursday with the negotiations, during which they raised issues that must be studied in detail.

They did not discuss the taxes themselves, and the conversations focused on the issue of immigration, on which each country gave its point of view, Ebrard said.

While the Trump administration wants short-term actions with immediate effects, Mexico believes that the problem requires in addition to long-term measures and not punitive, he said.
In the opinion of the Mexican authorities, they also try to address the conditions of violence and shortages in Central America.

Prior to the appearance of Ebrard before reporters, Trump wrote in his personal account of the social network Twitter that there was progress in the talks, but he considered it still insufficient and kept the threat of the rates.

He also blamed the increase in the arrival of undocumented immigrants to Mexico and the Democrats in Congress, whom he accuses of wanting open borders and crimes.

The bilateral negotiations will continue "with the understanding that, if an agreement is not reached, the five percent tariffs will begin on Monday, with monthly increases as scheduled," he stressed.