President Trump last week vowed to slap Mexico with increasing tariffs in a dispute over illegal immigration. The tariffs will start at five percent, commencing on 10 June, 2019, and will continue to surge over a series of months. In a statement issued by the White House, President Trump said the rate would increase to 10 percent on 1 July. It will then rise to 15 percent on 1 August, 20 percent on 1 September and to 25 percent on 1 October.
Speaking to Fox News, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said President Trump would not hesitate in ramping up the pressure against Mexico, even though the assessment for whether Mexico is acting on migration has been left “ad hoc”.
He said: “We intentionally left the declaration sort of ad hoc.
“So, there’s no specific target, there’s no specific percent, but things have to get better.
“They have to get dramatically better and they have to get better quickly.”
Mr Mulvaney added: “He is absolutely, deadly serious.
“I fully expect these tariffs to go on to at least the five percent level on June 10.”
The US leader announced the action against Mexico in a series of messages on Twitter last week.
President Trump tweeted: “On June 10th, the United States will impose a five percent 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, at which time the Tariffs will be removed.
“Details from the White House to follow.”
Responding to the announcement, Mexican President Andrés López Obrador posted a scathing letter on the social networking site, claiming “social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures”.
He said: “How does one transform, overnight, the country of fellowship with immigrants from around the world into a ghetto, a closed-off space that stigmatizes, mistreats, chases, expels and cancels legal rights to those who are seeking —with effort and hard work— to live free of misery?
“The Statue of Liberty isn’t an empty symbol.
“With all due respect, while you have the sovereign right to say it, the slogan ‘America First’ is a fallacy, because until the end of times, and above national borders, universal justice and brotherhood will prevail.”
Mexico’s border with the US is approximately 1,950 miles in length.