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Rep. Cuellar: Trump’s Threat To Impose Tariffs on Mexico Threatens America’s Economy and the USMCA

Washington, D.C.-- Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) released the following statement on President Trump’s threat to impose a 5% tariff on all goods coming from Mexico:

“The President’s threat to impose tariffs on Mexico is a dangerous mistake that will have significant consequences to our economy and negotiations with the USMCA. Mexico is America’s leading trading partner, the second-largest buyer of U.S. goods, and the third-biggest consumer of U.S. agricultural products. In 2018, U.S. goods and services trade with Mexico totaled an estimated $671.0 billion. President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs will only hurt America’s economy and security.

“Today, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sent the renegotiated NAFTA deal for Senate approval. Canada moved to ratify the USMCA yesterday by formally presenting it to parliament before U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s visit. However, President Trump’s decision derails all progress that we have made on the trilateral trade agreement.

“To properly address the crisis at the southern border, we need to invest in our ports of entry, including increasing personnel, improving infrastructure, and advancing technology. We need to fix our broken immigration system by closing loopholes that smugglers and human traffickers use to incentivize migrants into making the dangerous journey to our borders.

“Instead of inflicting arbitrary penalties on our southern neighbor, we must continue to work and collaborate with Mexico to handle the influx of migrants. We must address the root causes of the mass migration from Central America, such as violence and poverty. By providing funding to these countries, we can mitigate the number of migrants coming to our southern border. As a border representative and the chair of the U.S.-Mexico Inter-Parliamentary Group, I will continue to work with Mexico to find solutions to the influx of migrants at the border and to strengthen both our economies.”