Mexico Says It Won’t Pay For The Wall And Trump Ain’t Happy About It

A meeting between the Mexican President and Donald Trump has been cancelled amid drama concerning the proposed border wall.

Word from the White House is Donald Trump might hit Mexican imported products with a 20 per cent tariff, after Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto cancelled a planned meeting with the U.S. president.

Trump announced on Twitter: “If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting.” Despite the chronology of events, the U.S. President claims calling off the meeting was a mutual decision.

He has since issued—what appears to be—a threat to Mexico, flagging the possibility of enforcing a 20 per cent tariff on all Mexican imports. (It’s a pretty big deal, given 80 per cent of Mexico’s imported goods flow into the U.S.)

Trump said, “Unless Mexico is going to treat the United States fairly, with respect, such a meeting would be fruitless, and I want to go a different route. We have no choice.” Pena Nieto told the nation in a televised address, “I’ve said time and time again; Mexico won’t pay for any wall.”

of jobs and companies lost. If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2017

Mounting friction between Mexico and the U.S. comes in light of Trump signing an executive order authorising the planned wall. The entire project is expected to cost between $US12 billion and $US15 billion, a cost that Trump has promised voters Mexico will pay for.

Sean Spicer, spokesperson for Trump, said the President intends to fund the wall through the tariff but insists the proposal is only one part of a “buffet of options”. The two leaders were originally scheduled to meet to discuss immigration, trade and drug-war co-operation.

“We will keep the lines of communication open,” Spicer told Washington reporters.

Mexico's President has hit back at Donald Trump's decision to build a border wall, repeating that his country would not pay for it pic.twitter.com/8IYX36FYlu

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 26, 2017

Photo: CNN