Vice President Mike Pence, monitoring the talks from his travels in Pennsylvania, said on Thursday the U.S. was “encouraged” by Mexico’s latest proposals but that, so far, tariffs still were set to take effect on Monday. US and Mexican officials claim to be making progress as they labored for a second day to avert import tariffs. But President Donald Trump is still threatening to impose them as he tries to pressure Mexico into stemming the flow of Central American migrants across the United States’ southern border.
He added that it would be “for the president to decide” whether Mexico was doing enough to head off the tariffs. Pence said that, among other issues, negotiators had been discussing a potential agreement to make it difficult for those who enter Mexico from other countries to claim asylum in the U.S. Mexico has long resisted that request. Mr. Trump has threatened to impose a 5% tax on all Mexican goods beginning on Monday as part of an escalating tariff regime opposed by many in his own Republican Party.
US-Mexican officials claim to be making progress, deals yet not signed
