Trump Threatens to Double Tariffs on Mexico Unless Migrant Caravan Is Stopped
President Donald Trump warned Thursday that tariffs on Mexican imports would be doubled immediately unless Mexico stops a migrant caravan heading north, a threat that lands while the two countries negotiate trade terms.
President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to immediately double tariffs on Mexican imports unless Mexico stops migrant caravans traveling toward the U.S. border, raising the prospect of another disruption to North American trade.
The warning came in a post on Truth Social. “Here we go again!” Trump wrote. “They will not be accepted!” He added: “MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED.”
Trump said Mexican authorities, Texas’ newly elected governor and U.S. immigration enforcement agencies had been informed of his position. He did not say which tariffs would be doubled, whether existing trade exemptions would remain in place or when any new duties would take effect.
Sheinbaum disputes the caravan claims
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum disputed Trump’s account of the situation at her daily morning news conference Thursday, saying Mexico has prevented migrant caravans from reaching the U.S. border since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
“Since President Trump came into office, no migrant caravan has reached the northern border,” Sheinbaum said, according to a translation of her remarks.
Sheinbaum acknowledged that two migrant caravans are traveling through southern Mexico but said Mexican authorities are working to manage the groups. Reuters reported that about 1,500 migrants were traveling north, while Spanish news agency EFE reported that the group first included roughly 2,000 people.
The group, mostly from Central America, set off Tuesday from Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border, according to Reuters.
Trade stakes for both countries
Mexico is the United States’ largest trading partner, with bilateral commerce totaling $96.34 billion in September. Laredo, Texas, the nation’s leading international trade gateway, handled $38.9 billion in two-way trade that month, FreightWaves reported.
Current U.S. tariffs on Mexican imports generally include 25% on most goods that do not qualify for preferential treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, 0% on qualifying USMCA goods, 25% on Mexican-made automobiles and 50% on steel and aluminum products. It is not clear whether the threatened increase would affect non-USMCA goods, automotive products, steel and aluminum, or a wider set of Mexican imports.
The threat comes as the two countries negotiate tariff reductions and broader trade arrangements following Trump’s decision in July not to extend the USMCA framework, according to Reuters.
Reporting based on coverage by FreightWaves and Reuters.
