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| ▲ This photo, released by the Associated Press, shows U.S. President Donald Trump speaking to reporters after arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Feb. 2, 2025. |
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| ▲ Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during her daily press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City on Feb. 3, 2025 in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) Trump-Mexico-tariffs
(LEAD) Trump agrees to pause tariffs on Mexico for 1 month for negotiations
(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 7-12)
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump agreed Monday to "immediately" pause anticipated tariffs on Mexico for one month for negotiations between the two countries, as he had a conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
With the pause, Sheinbaum agreed to send 10,000 Mexican soldiers to the border separating Mexico and the United States, Trump said. The agreement came just hours before a 25 percent tariff on Mexican imports was set to go into effect on Tuesday.
"It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican soldiers on the border separating Mexico and the United States. These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our country," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period," he added.
During the one-month period, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick will engage in negotiations with high-level Mexican representatives, Trump said.
"I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a 'deal' between our two countries," he said.
In a separate social media post, Sheinbaum also announced the agreement, saying that the two countries will work together on security and trade.
On Saturday, Trump announced plans for 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports with a carve-out for Canadian energy products to be taxed at a 10 percent rate, and for a 10 percent tariff on goods from China -- in what he justified as an effort to block the inflow of illegal migrants and drugs, including fentanyl.
He has also warned that the U.S. would escalate the rates in the event of retaliation from the targeted countries.
At 3 p.m. Monday, Trump plans to speak with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose government announced a plan to impose 25 percent tariffs on C$155 billion worth of U.S. goods in retaliation against what it called "unjustified and unreasonable" tariffs unveiled by the U.S.
Earlier in the day, Trump took issue with a lack of access for U.S. banks to enter the Canadian market.
"Canada doesn't even allow U.S. Banks to open or do business there," he wrote on Truth Social. "What's that all about? Many such things, but it's also a DRUG WAR, and hundreds of thousands of people have died in the U.S. from drugs pouring through the borders of Mexico and Canada."
South Korea has been carefully watching what appears to be an emerging trade war as hundreds of South Korean businesses are operating in Mexico amid fears that U.S. tariffs on Mexico, if effectuated, will have an adverse impact on their businesses.
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