White House plans to proceed with Mexico tariffs
The White House plans to proceed with Mexico tariffs and is expected to issue a legal notification Friday that the levy on Mexican goods will go into effect Monday, although there's still time for the president to change his mind.
Talks continue between the Mexican delegation and U.S. on Friday, with White House counsel Pat Cipollone leading the talks, according to Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Marc Short.
"There's a legal notification that goes forward today with the plan to implement tariffs on Monday. But I think that there is the ability if negotiations continue to go well that the president can turn that off at some point over the weekend. But it has a requirement that if they go into effect Monday it has to be noticed today, so you should anticipate that happening today."
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One leaving Ireland on Friday that she's unsure if talks will continue into the weekend, leaving unanswered questions about what can be done to avoid the tariffs from going into effect.
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Top White House economist Kevin Hassett told reporters Friday morning he expects the president to make a decision after he arrives back at the White House from his trip to France and the United Kingdom. According to top Trump aide Dan Scavino, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo briefed him on Air Force One on the way back to the U.S.
President @realDonaldTrump on Air Force One, returning to Washington, D.C. — receives an update on talks with Mexico from @SecPompeo. pic.twitter.com/rU855ps1R5
— Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸 (@Scavino45) June 7, 2019
It still isn't entirely clear what legal justification the president will use to impose the tariffs, which he says will start at 5 percent on all Mexican goods and increase each month, up to 25 percent. Hassett has admitted the tariffs could negatively impact the U.S. economy, but insists Mexico's economy would suffer much more damage.
In an interview with Fox News in Normandy, France, Thursday, President Trump said U.S. lawmakers "should be ashamed" for resisting his "beautiful" Mexico tariffs. Some Republicans have voiced their concerns with the president's insistence on implementing tariffs, suggesting it will hurt the U.S. economy.