Trump’s Tariffs Deal Reportedly Consists Mostly of Border Actions Mexico Agreed to Months Ago

A new report states that President Donald Trump’s down-to-the-wire deal with Mexico to avoid imposing tariffs relied largely on things Mexico already promised to do months ago.

The New York Times reported Friday’s joint declaration said Mexico agreed to the “deployment of its National Guard throughout Mexico, giving priority to its southern border.”

However, Mexico already agreed to that during secret talks in March.

A big part of the agreement announced Friday was an expansion of a program that makes asylum seekers stay in Mexico while their cases are considered. Officials told the Times that arrangement was first reached in December.

An official stressed, though, that Mexico had agreed to do more now than they have in the past.

Mexico’s promise to deploy 5,400 national guard troops is larger than their previous pledge, according to the Times, and the agreement to expand asylum rules could help reduce cases of what Trump calls “catch and release.”

Trump had threatened Mexico with tariffs on general goods that could have escalated to 25% by this fall if he did not believe they were acting quickly enough to resolve border security issues.

I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico. The Tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the U.S. on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended. Mexico, in turn, has agreed to take strong measures to….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019

….stem the tide of Migration through Mexico, and to our Southern Border. This is being done to greatly reduce, or eliminate, Illegal Immigration coming from Mexico and into the United States. Details of the agreement will be released shortly by the State Department. Thank you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019

Trump said Friday night that the tariffs have been “indefinitely suspended.”

[Image via Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images]