LatinNews Daily - 26 November 2024

*US President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to impose a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico, as well as Canada, until the countries crack down on the flow of migrants and drugs crossing the border. Writing on Truth Social, the social media platform owned by the president-elect’s media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, Trump stated that when he takes office on 20 January, “as one of my many first executive orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% tariff on all products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous open borders”. He stated that this tariff will remain in effect “until such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!” Ricardo Monreal, the leader of Mexico’s ruling Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena) in the lower chamber of congress, responded on X (formerly Twitter) stating that such a tariff would violate the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). “We urge the use of bilateral institutional mechanisms to combat human, drug and arms trafficking,” wrote Monreal. “An escalation of trade reprisals would only hurt people’s pockets, far from solving fundamental problems. This measure would cause severe damage to the economy and the people of North America.”