Trump Revives Threat of Tariffs on Mexican Goods

Three days after declaring his threatened tariffs against Mexican imports “suspended indefinitely,” President Donald Trump says he might impose them after all.

The trigger, he says, would be the failure of Mexico’s Congress to approve an undisclosed element in the agreement he announced late Friday.

The pact would beef up already planned Mexican patrols of its own southern border by 11% to 5,000 troops and expand a program under which migrants entering the U.S. would be sent back to Mexico for housing until their legal processing was completed.

Observes speculate that the third deal Trump is alluding to a “safe third country” agreement. It would require that migrants who wish to pass through Mexico and seek asylum in the U.S. must apply for asylum in Mexico instead. Mexico says it rejected that demand but agreed to review its position in 45 days.

Coy about details of the secret element, Trump describes it only as a “very powerful tool” that will require legislative passage to implement.