SAN ANTONIO – Two days after the White House announced its intention to impose tariffs on three countries — Canada, China and Mexico — President Trump appeared to press pause against one of those countries on Monday morning: Mexico.
In response to the Feb. 1 announcement, several San Antonio-area lawmakers, led by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, agreed Sunday to appear at a Monday afternoon news conference to discuss the White House’s tariffs.
After the White House announced its tariffs pause on Mexico, a Castro spokesperson confirmed to KSAT late Monday morning that the news conference on the steps of San Antonio City Hall would proceed ”as planned.”
The other lawmakers who appeared alongside Castro include San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer and state Sens. José Menéndez and Roland Gutierrez.
“These tariffs are attacks on the American people,” Rep. Castro said at the news conference. “A penalty that hardworking Texans will pay every single day — every time they buy groceries, fill up tanks of gas or shop at local businesses.”
The full news conference can be seen in the above video player.
More than an hour after the conclusion of the afternoon news conference in San Antonio, President Donald Trump agreed to another 30-day pause on tariffs on Canada.
According to the Associated Press, Mexico would have faced a 25% tariff, while Canada would be charged 25% on its imports to the United States and 10% on its energy products.
China is facing a 10% additional tariff due to its role in the making and selling of fentanyl, the White House said.
Trump’s tariffs on China are still slated to go into effect Tuesday but uncertainty remains about the durability of any deals and whether the tariffs were a harbinger of a broader trade war, the Associated Press reported.
This is a developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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