President Biden said Thursday that he expects President-elect Trump to “reconsider” some of his tariff plans.
“I hope he reconsiders. I think that would be counterproductive,” the president said in Nantucket, Massachusetts, to discuss the president-elect's plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico, according to the pool report. Ta.
“We're surrounded by the Pacific, the Atlantic, and two allies in Mexico and Canada. What we have to do is start to undermine those relationships,” he continued.
President Trump announced Monday that he will issue an executive order imposing new tariffs on products from China, Canada and Mexico at the start of his next term.
In a post on Truth Social, the president-elect said he would impose a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican products, and an additional 10% tariff on Chinese products. Trump said the tariffs are aimed at putting pressure on countries to step up efforts to secure their borders and combat fentanyl exports to the United States.
“Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to simply resolve this long-smoldering issue. We hereby demand that they use this power, and they Until they do, it's time for them to pay a very high price!'' President Trump said on Truth Social.
In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday threatened counter-tariffs.
“One tariff will be followed by another, and this will continue until it puts ordinary businesses at risk,” she said.
Trump and Sheinbaum also spoke by phone recently, and the president-elect said on Wednesday's Truth Social that it was “very productive.” He said Mexico's president “agreed to block immigration into the United States through Mexico, effectively closing our southern border.”
“Mexico will immediately stop people from going to our southern border,” Trump wrote in another Truth social post. after the phone call. “This will go a long way in deterring illegal US aggression. Thank you!!!”
Sheinbaum pushed back on the president-elect's claims on social platforms Wednesday that his country had agreed to close its borders.
“In my conversation with President Trump, I outlined the comprehensive strategy Mexico has taken to address the migration phenomenon while respecting human rights,” Sheinbaum said in the post. Translation from CNN.
The Hill has reached out to Trump's transition team for comment.
