On Thursday, 12 November 2026, US President Donald Trump threatened to immediately double tariffs on Mexican imports unless Mexico stops migrant caravans travelling toward the United States border. He made the threat in a post on Truth Social.
“MEXICO MUST STOP THEM, NOW, and if they do not do so, the Tariffs on Mexico will be IMMEDIATELY DOUBLED,” Trump wrote. He also wrote “Here we go again!” and “They will not be accepted!”
Trump did not specify which tariffs would be doubled, whether existing exemptions would remain, or when any new duties would take effect.
Reuters reported about 1,500 migrants travelling north, having set out on Tuesday from Tapachula in southern Mexico near the Guatemalan border. Spanish agency EFE reported the group initially included roughly 2,000 people.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pushed back at her Thursday morning news conference, saying no migrant caravan has reached Mexico’s northern border since Trump returned to office in January 2025. She acknowledged two caravans are currently travelling through southern Mexico and are being managed by Mexican authorities.
Mexico remains the United States’ largest overall trading partner. Current US tariffs on Mexican imports generally include 25% on most goods that do not qualify under USMCA, 0% on qualifying USMCA-compliant goods, 25% on Mexican-made automobiles, and 50% on steel and aluminium. Washington and Mexico City are negotiating trade issues and potential tariff reductions.
Source: FreightWaves, reporting Reuters.
