President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to double US tariffs on Mexico unless the country stops a caravan of about 1,500 migrants walking north toward the United States, turning trade policy into his latest pressure tool in the border fight.
In a social media post, Trump warned that the migrants "will not be accepted" and demanded that Mexico halt the group immediately. "MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED," he wrote, adding: "There will be no leniency!"
The caravan, made up mostly of people from Central America, set off on Tuesday from Tapachula, a city in southern Mexico near the Guatemalan border. According to reports, many in the group believe the Democrats' victory in last week's midterm elections could open new pathways for them to live and work in the United States.
Trump also said he had informed Mexico, the governor of Texas, US Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement of his demand.
The threat puts one of America's biggest trading relationships back in the spotlight. Mexico is among the United States' largest trading partners, and a doubling of tariffs would raise costs for businesses and consumers on both sides of the border — from cars and electronics to food and manufactured goods. Trump has repeatedly used the threat of tariffs as leverage in disputes with trading partners, but it was not immediately clear whether Thursday's warning would translate into formal action.
The warning comes just over a week after the midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress. Trump has framed the caravan as a test of the new political landscape, suggesting the group is moving now because it expects a friendlier reception under a Democratic Congress.
For now, the caravan continues its journey north, and the question is whether Mexico moves to stop it — or whether Trump follows through on the tariff threat. Markets and trading partners will be watching closely for any formal announcement from the White House in the coming days.
Sources: Reuters
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