President Joe Biden cautioned against destroying ties with Canada and Mexico, following Donald Trump’s pledge to impose tariffs on the two US neighbors upon his inauguration in January.
Biden told reporters, “I think it’s a detrimental thing to do,” in response to a question concerning his successor’s strategy.
Making those connections worse is the last thing we should do. As he spends his final Thanksgiving vacation as president, he stated, “I think we got ourselves into a good place,” while touring a fire station in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
When Trump said on social media that he believed one of his first presidential moves would be to put 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which have a free trade agreement with the United States, and add a 10% duty on China, it sent shivers through international markets on Monday.
He reiterated his intention to use trade as a weapon against both allies and adversaries, promising to lift tariffs on the US neighbors only after illegal immigration and drug trade cease.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called the Republican president-elect on Wednesday after writing to voice her disapproval to Trump’s threats.
Despite differences in what had been addressed, both leaders gave good descriptions of the call.
Sheinbaum, according to Trump, had committed to “stop migration across Mexico, and toward the United States, completely sealing our Southern Border.”
She had simply described Mexico’s existing “comprehensive strategy” on migration, the Mexican president swiftly pointed out.
