Trump talks migration with Mexico leader amid tariff threat

US President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum had agreed to "stop" migration into the US through Mexico during a conversation between the two leaders.

According to Trump, the move would "effectively" close the border between the two countries.

The incoming US president posted on Truth Social that he had a "wonderful conversation" with Sheinbaum. 

"She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border. We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also, US consumption of these drugs," Trump posted.

Sheinbaum, on her part, said the two had discussed Mexico's migration "strategy," but made no reference to closing the border.

In a post on her X account, Sheinbaum labeled the call "excellent," but later on, she took to her X account once again, this time to deny Trump's "border closure" comments.

"We reiterate that Mexico's position is not to close borders, but to build bridges between governments and peoples," she wrote.

What else did Trump and Sheinbaum discuss?

The Mexican leader said that, in addition to migration, the two also discussed the prevention of fentanyl consumption.

In the past fiscal year, US customs agents seized 21,100 pounds (9,570 kilograms) of the drug at the Mexican border.

Trump described the issue as a "massive drug inflow into the US."

The conversation between Trump and Sheinbaum happened after the US president-elect said he would impose tariffs of 25% on Mexican and Canadian imports and 10% on goods from China.

"This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social page.

Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrar, meanwhile, said some "400,000 jobs will be lost" in the United States if Trump followed through on his tariff threat. He cited a study based on figures from US carmakers that manufacture in Mexico.

ftm/sri (AFP, Reuters)