President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on Mexico are based on national security and economy threats and are a response to Mexico’s “export” of illegal aliens,…
President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on Mexico are based on national security and economy threats and are a response to Mexico’s “export” of illegal aliens, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said.
Navarro, speaking to CNBC on May 31, legally justified the president’s decision to impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods entering the United States from Mexico by citing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which requires a national emergency.
“Clearly we have that at the border,” Navarro told the network, referring to the massive influx of illegal immigrants. Trump declared a national emergency on Feb. 15 to address the humanitarian crisis on the southwest border and to secure funds for border-wall construction.
Border Patrol officials had apprehended over 500,000 illegal aliens on the southern border as of May 10. Navarro also made reference to what he said was Mexico’s biggest export to the United States.
“If you look at it from an investor’s point of view and a corporate point of view, what we have in Mexico is the export—one of their high exports—of illegal aliens.
