WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump agrees to hold off on issuing tariffs on Mexico. This comes after he announced this past weekend he will issue blanket tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China to stop the drug trafficking crisis.
Pennsylvania House Republican members like Rep. Mike Kelly (R- PA) and Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R- PA) are defending the President’s tariff’s move. Others worry it will trigger a trade war.
Rep. Kelly wrote on X: “By implementing tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico, President Trump is keeping his campaign promise. Deadly fentanyl from China continues to flow across both our Southern and Northern borders, and Canada and Mexico have done virtually nothing to stop it. In just his first two weeks in office, President Trump leveraged tariffs to successfully resolve national security concerns with Colombia. We must use all of the tools in our toolbox to defeat the cartels, improve trade relations, and solve these crises.”
Rep. Thompson released this statement: “President Trump’s tariff policy has been an effective tool in leveling the global playing field and ensuring fair trade for American producers. Look no further than Colombia’s about face on accepting repatriated criminal migrants at the mere threat of tariffs. After four years of the Biden-Harris Administration’s failure to expand foreign markets, which led to an inflated agricultural trade deficit of $45.5 billion, America’s producers deserve an Administration that will fight for them. I look forward to working alongside of President Trump to support our hardworking producers and to make agriculture great again.”
Trump initially declared an economy emergency to place duties on ten-percent on all imports from China and 25 percent imports from Canada and Mexico. On Monday, Trump announced he will hold off on issuing tariffs on Mexico after Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to send ten-thousand of their soldiers to their border to help prevent the drug trafficking from Mexico into the US. Sheinbaum said in return, the US commits to work to stop the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico.
Financial markets, businesses and consumers are bracing for the impacts of tariffs, which could make things like food, lumber, cars and other materials more expensive. Even Trump acknowledged the impact it could have on Americans.
“We may have short term some little pain and people understand that,” said Trump Sunday night. “But long term the United States has been ripped off.”
Democrats are pushing back against these tariffs. They said it will hurt the American people in the end.
