The President of Mexico has declared a temporary halt on tariffs following a settlement with President Donald Trump. This announcement raises the question: what did the United States request in return?
Since January 20, Donald Trump has been actively working on various fronts, with a recent focus on formulating an accord with Mexico.
Concerns arose when Trump proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, sparking opposition from the Mexican president.
On January 31, Trump announced tariffs targeting Canada, Mexico, and China, imposing a 25 percent additional tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports, and a 10 percent additional tariff on Chinese imports, escalating tensions further.
The White House cited an ‘extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl’, as the rationale for maintaining the tariffs until the crisis is addressed.
However, there is now a significant development.
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and Trump have reached a pact aimed at curbing drug trafficking to the United States, while also offering benefits to Mexico.
On Twitter, Sheinbaum, in a translated post, stated: “We had a good conversation with President Trump with great respect for our relationship and sovereignty; we reached a series of agreements.”
The agreements comprise four key points: “1. Mexico will immediately reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members of the National Guard to prevent drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, particularly fentanyl.
“2. The United States is committed to working to prevent the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico.
“3. Our teams will begin working today on two fronts: security and trade.
“4. They are pausing tariffs for one month from now.”
In return for the tariff ‘pause,’ Sheinbaum noted that the U.S. will be committed to curbing the trafficking of high-powered weapons into Mexico.
Trump, on the other hand, requested Mexican troops.
In a Truth Social post, Trump remarked: “I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States.”
He stated that these soldiers would be assigned to halt the influx of fentanyl and illegal migrants into the U.S.
Besides the troop commitment, both parties agreed on ‘negotiations headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico’ to address the tariffs.
The tone between the two nations appears cooperative, with Trump expressing enthusiasm about participating in the negotiations as both countries strive to finalize a ‘deal’.
Public sentiment online has been largely supportive of this new arrangement. One user commented: “See what happens when you cooperate.. @realDonaldTrump knows what he’s doing. He wants you to do your job and protect the people.”
Another remarked: “A good 1st step, hoping 1 month’s time will bring better opportunities for our countries to work together.”