Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during a press conference at the National Palace, in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on June 3, 2019. Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday that he felt "very optimistic" about reaching an agreement with the United States before June 10, a date set by his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump to start imposing tariffs on Mexican products. Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 5-percent tariff on Mexican products as of June 10 and gradually increase the figure to 25 percent in October if Mexico does not stop the flow of illegal migration that reaches the common border. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo)
MEXICO CITY, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday that he felt "very optimistic" about reaching an agreement with the United States before June 10, a date set by his counterpart Donald Trump to start imposing tariffs on Mexican products.
"We are not going to engage in a confrontation, we think that an agreement can be reached with the U.S. government," Lopez Obrador said during his morning press conference.
Contact and communication with U.S. officials to reach an agreement regarding tariffs have started, the Mexican president added.
Trump threatened on Thursday to impose a 5-percent tariff on Mexican products as of June 10 and gradually increase the figure to 25 percent in October if Mexico does not stop the flow of illegal migration that reaches the common border.
"We will always seek to resolve differences through dialogue, (we will always) seek a peaceful solution to disputes, and in this issue we always insist that cooperation for development must be promoted," said Lopez Obrador.
He said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as U.S. governors of states that share the border with Mexico, spoke in favor of free trade and of maintaining good trade relations.
Mexico sent last week a high-level mission team to the United States, led by Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Economy Minister Graciela Marquez, to resolve differences between the two countries.
The flow of Central American migrants that cross into Mexico on their way to the United States has increased since the end of 2018, after the formation of massive caravans, which has tensed the relationship between the United States and Mexico.
