Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s decision to temporarily postpone the implementation of blanket tariffs against Mexico and Canada, which would have raised costs for Americans and imperiled America’s reputation as a reliable global partner:
“The decision to pause the implementation of across-the-board tariffs against Canada and Mexico, two of our strongest international partners and closest neighbors, was the right one. Such tariffs would have devastating impacts on Americans’ pocketbooks—raising costs on groceries, utility bills and more. It also would have violated the text and spirit of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a bipartisan trade agreement that was negotiated by President Trump himself during his first term.
“We all agree that Mexico and Canada need to do more to address irregular migration, fentanyl trafficking and other transnational issues that are undermining our shared security and economic prosperity, and Presidents Sheinbaum and Trudeau have demonstrated their commitment to do just that. We urge President Trump to recognize that launching an incoherent trade war with our neighbors and allies is counterproductive to our national interests and would hurt the wellbeing of Americans across the country. We will continue to work with our Canadian and Mexican partners on transnational issues affecting our nations, including the trafficking of high-powered weapons from the United States to Mexico.”