Hours before President Donald Trump’s tariffs were slated to go into effect, Mexico agreed to immediately send 10,000 troops to its border with the United States to curb the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants, prompting Trump to pause the tariffs for one month.
“Mexico will immediately reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members of the National Guard to prevent drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, particularly fentanyl,” Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum told Trump during a Monday call. Trump confirmed the tariff pause in a Truth Social post, noting that “these soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country.”
The agreement comes two days after Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico to “protect” Americans from the “major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs.” Trump also levied a 25 percent tariff on Canada and a 10 percent tariff on China, both of which remain poised to take effect on Tuesday. Both Canada and Mexico announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States.
Mexico will also expand an import substitution plan, dubbed Plan Mexico, to reduce reliance on Chinese imports and produce more goods in Mexico, Sheinbaum said at a news conference after the call.
Trump said the United States will engage in further negotiations with Mexico during the pause. “I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a ‘deal’ between our two Countries,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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