Agreement helps Mexico avoids tariffs

President Donald Trump said late Friday he would not impose tariffs on Mexico, which agreed to take “strong measures” to reduce the flow of Central American migrants into the United States. Trump had threatened to levy a 5 percent tariff that could increase over time to 25 percent on all goods from Mexico. After several days of negotiations, the countries agreed to expand a program that returns asylum-seekers in the United States to Mexico while their claims are under review, the U.S. State Department said. Mexico will “offer jobs, healthcare, and education” to those people, according to the agreement. The State Department also said Mexico will send troops to its southern border with Guatemala to combat illegal immigration there and work to dismantle human smuggling and trafficking organizations.

“Mexico will try very hard, and if they do that, this will be a very successful agreement for both the United States and Mexico!” Trump tweeted Saturday. He also said Mexico had agreed to buy large amounts of “agricultural product” from U.S. farmers.