Factbox-Trump likely to turn to tested trade law tools in his tariff offensive

Claudia Sheinbaumpresident

Dear President-elect Donald Trump, I am writing to you regarding your statement on Monday, November 25, concerning migration, fentanyl trafficking, and tariffs,

Sheinbaum said

#BREAKING: Mexican president announces she is stopping the migrant caravans from arriving at the U.S. southern border after Trump's tariff threat. The announcement came only 12 hours later."

Another post by news director Eric Daugherty, posted on November 26, 2024, viewed 4.6 million times, said

But that's a heavy lift, especially for a Republican Congress

at the start of Trump's term ... said Stephen Kho, a trade lawyer at Akin Gump and former China trade enforcement counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

It’s going to be very bad for the North American economy if this scenario unfolds as promised. We can hope that it’s just an elaborate bluff,

Clausing says

This is a time when U.S. consumers have expressed a lot of dissatisfaction with inflation, and arguably elected Trump because of that dissatisfaction,

says Kimberly Clausing, former lead economist in the Biden Administration’s Office of Tax Policy

I think the prospect of further tariffs is an inducement for more cooperation from both countries,

she said of China and Mexico

Whether they work or not remains to be seen, but we must do something,

he added

This is really an epidemic, and I think we need a multi-pronged, full-court press approach on how to get people into treatment,

she said

One way to immediately impact an illicit economy is to increase the cost of doing business,

he said

Claudia Sheinbaumpresident

You may not be aware that Mexico has developed a comprehensive policy to assist migrants from different parts of the world who cross our territory en route to the southern border of the United States,

Sheinbaum wrote, ... according to a translation of her letter

Tragically, it is in our country that lives are lost to the violence resulting from meeting the drug demand in yours,

she said

But Mexico's response, that we're going to respond to you with tariffs, that will make Trump really impose them,

she told the Associated Press

Claudia Sheinbaumpresident

Why tax them and put them at risk?"

Sheinbaum said

I am convinced that North America's economic strength lies in maintaining our trade partnership. This allows us to remain competitive against other economic blocs. For this reason, I believe that dialogue is the best path to understanding, peace, and prosperity for our nations. I hope our teams can meet soon to continue building joint solutions."

Sheinbaum concludes, saying

I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail."

Trump also said Monday

Well, let me put it this way: Laredo’s the largest port; we handle 40 percent of all the trade between the U.S. and Mexico. I know this is a way to negotiate, get some leverage. I know that Mexico will come to the table,

he responded

But nobody wants a 25 percent tariff on them, and the Mexicans are threatening to do the same thing, and we don’t want to get into that,

Cuellar added

The excuse the president-elect has given to justify his threat of additional tariffs on imports from China is far-fetched,

In response to that, the China Daily newspaper – which is run by the Chinese Communist Party – published an editorial Tuesday saying ... according to Reuters

If it means a 25 percent tariff to potentially fix the border, would you favor that?"

Cuellar was asked

Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem,

he declared