In a move highlighting tensions within the incoming administration, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his hope that President-elect Donald Trump would rethink his plan to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Speaking from Nantucket, Massachusetts, during the Thanksgiving holiday, Biden emphasized that tariffs could \\"screw up\\" important relationships with close allies.
Biden stressed the unique position of the United States, being located between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and bordered by Mexico and Canada. He explained, \\"The last thing we need to do is begin to screw up those relationships.\\"
Earlier, Trump announced his intention to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada until they took stronger actions against drug trafficking and unauthorized migration across the border. This approach is seen by some as potentially violating the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free-trade agreement.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum responded by stating that her recent call with Trump did not specifically address tariffs. Instead, both leaders agreed on maintaining good relations between the two nations. After the discussion, Trump claimed that Sheinbaum had \\"agreed to stop migration through Mexico,\\" effectively closing the Southern Border. Sheinbaum clarified that her strategy focuses on managing migration before it reaches the U.S. border.
Biden, who met with Trump at the White House earlier this month, reiterated the importance of a smooth transition between administrations. \\"All the talk about what he's going to do or not do, I think there may be a little bit of internal reckoning on his … part,\\" Biden added, suggesting that Trump might reconsider the tariffs.
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Biden says he hopes Trump rethinks tariffs on Mexico and Canada
cgtn.com
