As Mexican officials are meeting US counterparts this week to avert sudden increase in tariffs, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard rejected that the so called “safe third country” proposal. Under this option favored by some US officials, Mexico will be forced to handle Central Americans seeking asylum in the US. Ebrard said “an agreement about a safe third country would not be acceptable for Mexico… They have not yet proposed it to me. But it would not be acceptable and they know it.”
Ebrard also hit back at Trump’s claims that Mexico was doing “nothing” to help the US. And he said 250k more immigrants would reach the United States in 2019 without its efforts. He reiterated the country’s commitment to continue to work on curbing migration flows from Central America to US.
Separately, Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez warned in a statement that Trump’s tariffs on Mexican imports would affect all 50 US states, harm value chains, consumers and trade-related jobs in both countries. The proposed tariffs would cause total economic damage to the agriculture sector of $117 million per month in both countries. Marquez also pledged to retaliate if the proposed tariffs were imposed.
Mexico’s ambassador to the United States, Martha Barcena, also warned “Tariffs, along with the decision to cancel aid programs to the northern Central American countries, could have a counterproductive effect and would not reduce migration flows.”
