Customs duties | Biden calls for not ‘spoiling US relations’ with Mexico and Canada

(Nantucket) Joe Biden called on Thursday not to “spoil the relations” of the United States with Mexico and Canada, currently tense because of Donald Trump’s threats to impose a 25% increase in customs duties on products from these two countries.

“I think it’s counterproductive,” said the outgoing American president, from a fire station on the upscale island of Nantucket, on the northeast coast of the country. These neighboring countries are “allies”, he recalled, and “the last thing to do is to start spoiling these relations. »

The Democrat, responding to questions from the press, hoped that the Republican billionaire would “reconsider” this project when he takes office at the White House at the end of January.

Mr. Trump made an impression on Monday by confirming his desire to sharply increase customs duties on products coming from Mexico and Canada.

This targeting of two neighboring countries, with which he himself signed a free trade agreement during his previous mandate, raises fears of a vast trade war capable of harming global growth.

Because during his campaign, the tribune made customs duties the backbone of his economic policy, promising to target all foreign products entering the United States.

Mr. Trump intends in particular to use this weapon as a diplomatic negotiation tool. He promised to keep the surcharge in place “until drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal immigrants stop this invasion of our country!” “.

A bet whose results are still uncertain. On Wednesday, he spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, but their phone call led to divergent interpretations.

The American assured that his counterpart had agreed to “stop illegal immigration” towards the United States. But M^me Sheinbaum contradicted him, recalling that Mexico’s position “is not to close the borders.”

“I can assure you […] that we have never considered closing the border-we would be incapable of doing so,” insisted the Mexican president during a press conference on Thursday.

The Mexican government has already threatened to respond to increased US tariffs with similar retaliatory measures. But the president adopted a reassuring tone on Thursday.

“There will be no potential tariff war,” she said, assuring that she wanted to build a constructive dialogue with the future Trump administration.

Mr. Trump also plans to increase customs duties by 10% on products from China, where the chemical precursors necessary for the production of fentanyl, a deadly opioid that kills thousands of people in the United States each year, are manufactured.

This decision “will not solve” American problems, Beijing said on Thursday.

Asked about the state of relations between the United States and China, Mr. Biden recalled Thursday that he had “established a direct line between President Xi (Jinping) and myself, as well as between our military.”

“One thing I know for sure about Xi is that he doesn’t want to make mistakes,” he said. “I’m not saying he’s our best friend, but he understands what’s at stake.”