Trump: New trade deal with Mexico ‘will be a big hit’
President Trump touted his administration’s progress on a trade agreement with Mexico in an early morning tweet on Wednesday, praising companies that he says continue to “pour back” into the country.
Trump wrote that the upcoming deal, which was announced by the White House on Monday amid contentious talks with Mexico and Canada over the future of NAFTA, focuses on U.S. farmers and will tear down “trade barriers” that negatively impact the U.S. economy.
“Our new Trade Deal with Mexico focuses on FARMERS, GROWTH for our country, tearing down TRADE BARRIERS, JOBS and having companies continue to POUR BACK INTO OUR COUNTRY. It will be a big hit!” he predicted.
Our new Trade Deal with Mexico focuses on FARMERS, GROWTH for our country, tearing down TRADE BARRIERS, JOBS and having companies continue to POUR BACK INTO OUR COUNTRY. It will be a big hit!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018
Trump summoned reporters to the Oval Office on Monday for a joint announcement of the trade deal on a conference call with Mexico’s outgoing President Enrique Peña Nieto, calling it a “big day” for trade between the two nations.
“It’s a big day for trade. It’s a big day for our country,” he said Monday, adding: “We will see whether or not we decide to put up Canada or just do a separate deal with Canada, if they want to make the deal.”
{mosads}Trump has attacked NAFTA since announcing his campaign in 2015, targeting the trade agreement and others which he has accused of being unfairly balanced against U.S. workers and business interests.
Monday’s announcement followed months of contentious trade talks and tariff battles between Mexico, the U.S., and Canada, following Trump’s decision earlier this year to implement tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Canada in particular took offense to the tariffs, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling the measures an insult to Canadians who died fighting alongside U.S. forces.
“Let me be clear: These tariffs are totally unacceptable,” Trudeau said in May. “Canadians have served alongside Americans in two world wars and in Korea. From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of Afghanistan, we have fought and died together.”
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