The US president has imposed tariffs on Mexico to punish the country for failing to stop the flow of migrants towards the US border. It’s a tactic he uses frequently to pressure rivals.
US President Donald Trump wants to stop migration via Mexico by punishing the country with punitive tariffs.
The Republican leader announced that from June 10, a customs duty of five percent would be levied on all imports from Mexico.
The tariffs would gradually rise to 25 percent by October, if Mexico does not take effective measures to stop illegal migrants heading to the US.
On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019
It is not the first time the US president has tried to ‘solve’ international disputes using tariffs.
Here are some countries Trump has issued tariffs against:
Trade-war with China
Despite trade negotiations, Trump has announced that he will increase import tariffs from 10 to 25 percent from next Friday.
Negotiations on a trade agreement are progressing too slowly, he wrote on Twitter earlier in May.
Tariffs will be levied on goods worth $500bn and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said more are in the works. The president has initiated a process that will culminate in a 25 percent duty on additional goods worth around 300 billion dollars. However, a final decision has not yet been made.
Dispute with Turkey over Andrew Brunson
Trump has relieved some tariffs on steel imports from NATO ally Turkey after Ankara was hit with a special tariff of 50 percent amid diplomatic tensions over the latter’s detention of a US citizen, Pastor Andrew Brunson, who was later released.
From 21 May, the tariff will be reduced to 25 percent, according to the Trump administration. At the same time, Turkey is also losing privileges in trade with the USA. The changes will take effect on Friday.
I have just authorized a doubling of Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum with respect to Turkey as their currency, the Turkish Lira, slides rapidly downward against our very strong Dollar! Aluminum will now be 20% and Steel 50%. Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2018
Ending trade preferences with India
Turkey’s removal from the Generalized System of Preferences programme followed its "sufficient economic development," the US Trade Representative’s office said. India has also been removed from the list, which provides tariff-free entry for some goods.
India, meanwhile, is being terminated from the programme because it has failed “to provide the United States with assurances that it will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets in numerous sectors”.
India was the largest beneficiary of the system, which covered roughly $5.69 billion in imports, according to a report issued by the Congressional Research Service in January.
....When I had Harley-Davidson officials over to the White House, I chided them about tariffs in other countries, like India, being too high. Companies are now coming back to America. Harley must know that they won’t be able to sell back into U.S. without paying a big tax!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2018
Trade disputes with the EU
The US is proposing levies on imports entering the country from the EU, in addition to levies on the imports of steel and aluminium introduced last year.
The EU imposed retaliatory tariffs on €2.8 billion worth of US goods in June on products such as bourbon whiskey, motorcycles and orange juice.
In April this year, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on cars imported from the EU if both sides cannot reach a trade deal.
The World Trade Organization finds that the European Union subsidies to Airbus has adversely impacted the United States, which will now put Tariffs on $11 Billion of EU products! The EU has taken advantage of the U.S. on trade for many years. It will soon stop!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 9, 2019
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