Washington, Nov 13: US President Donald Trump has threatened to double tariffs on Mexican imports unless Mexico stops migrant groups travelling through its territory towards the United States, raising the prospect of fresh trade tensions between the neighbouring countries.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said migrant caravans were forming and moving through Mexico, warning that the groups would not be allowed to enter the United States. He demanded immediate action from Mexican authorities and said US immigration agencies had also been informed.
Trump did not identify the existing tariffs that could face an increase, specify the products that would be affected, or cite the legal authority for imposing the additional duties. He made the proposed increase conditional on Mexico failing to stop the groups.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum disputed the urgency of Trump’s warning, saying no migrant caravan had reached the US border since he returned to office in January 2025, according to Mexican newspaper Diario de Yucatan.
Sheinbaum said one group that had gathered in Arriaga, in the southern state of Chiapas, had declined from an estimated 500–600 people to fewer than 100. Mexican authorities were informing migrants about the difficulties of entering the United States and presenting alternatives, including returning to their home countries or remaining in Mexico under certain conditions.
She also said another group arriving from Honduras was receiving humanitarian assistance and information about its available options, the newspaper reported.
Trump linked the reported movement of migrants to the political climate surrounding the US midterm elections, alleging that migration towards the country was resuming following perceived Republican losses. He acknowledged that he was not a candidate in the elections but provided no evidence connecting their outcome to the movement of migrant groups.
He said Mexican authorities, the Texas governor, the incoming Texas governor, the US Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been notified of the situation. Trump ruled out any concessions in enforcing his demand.
The tariff threat comes as Washington and Mexico negotiate possible reductions in existing US duties on steel, aluminium and automobiles, the Financial Times reported. The discussions have focused on trade measures, while Trump’s latest warning introduces migration enforcement as a condition for avoiding additional economic penalties.
Mexico serves both as a destination for migrants and as a transit route for people travelling north from Central America to reach the United States. Trump’s latest threat adds another point of contention to the two countries’ trade and immigration relations.
