Snow blankets northern Saudi region of Al-Jouf    Syrian Air to resume operation between Damascus and Jeddah on Nov. 7 after a hiatus of 8 years    21,370 illegal residents arrested in a week    Bronze Age town discovered in Khaybar Oasis    New mechanism for reviewing taxi fares via applications    Harris and Trump in dead heat as Election Day nears    Spain flooding one of many global extreme weather disasters: UN weather agency    EU braces for potential shifts in transatlantic relations ahead of US presidential election    Israeli army nearing end of ground offensive in southern Lebanon, reports indicate    Al Hilal sets record for longest unbeaten streak across all domestic competitions    Al Nassr and Al Hilal share points in intense Riyadh Derby draw    Riyadh's Sports Boulevard receives Platinum ActiveScore certifications    ImpaQ: Riyadh to host first Impact Makers Forum in December    Saudi Arabia ranks 12th globally in international visitor spending in 2023    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    Saleh Al Shehri strike seals Al Ittihad's Sea Derby win over Al Ahli    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    Derby Week makes its debut in the Roshn Saudi League    Teri Garr, Young Frankenstein and Tootsie star, dies at 79    Indonesia Days event celebrates cultural diversity at Al Suwaidi Park    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



US and Mexico face off over planned border wall
Published in Alriyadh on 27 - 01 - 2017

Tensions between the US and Mexico escalated Thursday as the countries' presidents scrapped a planned meeting amid a bitter dispute over the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said he had canceled a planned trip to Washington on Janaury 31 to meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump after Trump announced the imminent start to construction of a wall along with the detention and deportation of people in the country illegally. Trump later said the decision was mutual.
"The president of Mexico and myself have agreed to cancel our planned meeting scheduled for next week," Trump told a meeting of congressional Republicans in Philadelphia.
"Unless Mexico is going to treat the United States fairly, with respect, such a meeting would be fruitless, and I want to go in a different route. We have no choice."
Trump promised during his presidential campaign to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and make Mexico pay for it, which Pena Nieto has repeatedly refused to do.
Construction of a border wall would take years and could cost 40 billion dollars by some estimates.
On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order announcing construction would begin, initially paid by US border security funding.
On Thursday, Trump proposed funding construction with a tax on Mexican goods in the US, currently covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Trump has also threatened to scrap.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that a "plan that's taking shape now" would tax imports in a way that would net revenue from countries with which the US has trade deficits.
He gave as an example a 20-per-cent tax - possibly a border adjustment tax, which is similar to a value-added tax - that he said would net more than 10 billion dollars annually on goods brought in from Mexico.
But Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned that a tax could hit the US equally hard.
"Border security yes, tariffs no. Mexico is 3rd largest trading partner. Any tariff we can levy they can levy. Huge barrier to econ growth," he tweeted.
While most expected Trump to try to follow through on a promise that was a cornerstone of his campaign, the timing of Wednesday's order was regarded by many Mexicans as a particular insult, coming as it did when Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo were in Washington for talks.
Pena Nieto's decision to cancel the meeting with Trump was hailed by Mexicans who had since Wednesday called for the visit to be scrapped as a matter of national pride.
Former President Vicente Fox of the opposition National Action Party (PAN) congratulated Pena Nieto on Twitter.
"Bravo, Enrique Pena Nieto" he wrote, "Mexico deserves dignity and respect, we can't have dialogue when neither of the two is present."
Allert Brown-Gort, director of the University of California's Mexico City office, told dpa the rapid escalation in rhetoric was nearly unprecedented.
"This may be the worst moment in bilateral relations since 1920," he said.
Spicer said another date would be sought for the meeting, and the White House "will keep the lines of communication open."
Trump has claimed that the wall would save thousands of lives, millions of jobs and billions of dollars, amid what he called a "crisis" along the 3,200-kilometre border, which is further than the distance from Moscow to Paris.


Clic here to read the story from its source.