U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters upon arrival at the White House in Washington D.C. June 7, 2019. Donald Trump said on Friday that his country has reached agreement with Mexico to avert the threat of tariffs on all Mexican imports next week. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)
WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday night that his country has reached a signed agreement with Mexico to avert the threat of tariffs on all Mexican imports next week.
"The Tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the U.S. on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended," Trump tweeted.
"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," he said.
Last week, Trump threatened to impose a 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods beginning June 10 to pressure the country to stop the flow of undocumented migrants crossing the border, and to gradually increase tariffs until the problem is remedied, drawing extensive criticism both at home and abroad.
A high-level Mexican delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard is in Washington this week to hold talks with U.S. officials on tariffs and immigration.
According to the U.S.-Mexico Joint Declaration released by the State Department, Mexico will "take unprecedented steps" to increase enforcement to curb irregular migration, to include the deployment of its National Guard throughout Mexico, giving priority to its southern border.
The United States will immediately expand the implementation of the existing Migrant Protection Protocols across its entire southern border, said the joint declaration, adding that those crossing the U.S. southern border to seek asylum will be rapidly returned to Mexico where they may await the adjudication of their asylum claims.
Ebrard said the resolution was fair and balanced and that the United States originally made more sweeping demands than were part of the final deal, according to Bloomberg. "We reached some middle point," Ebrard was quoted as saying.
"No tariffs on Mexico. Mexico came through," tweeted Republican senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee who opposed the tariffs.
