In a surprise announcement that could compromise a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is slapping a 5 per cent tariff on all Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the US border.
He said the percentage will gradually increase up to 25 per cent "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."
"On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5 per cent Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied," he wrote, "at which time the Tariffs will be removed."
The threat drew a withering response from Republican Rep. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a usual Trump ally, who slammed it as "a misuse of presidential tariff authority" that would burden American consumers and "seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA."
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