On Mexico-US border, Trump's 'Liberation Day' brings fears for future

2 days ago 7
US-bound cargo trucks queue adjacent   the borderline  successful  the Mexican metropolis  of TijuanaUS-bound cargo trucks queue adjacent the borderline successful the Mexican metropolis of Tijuana. Photo: Guillermo Arias / AFP
Source: AFP

As dawn broke implicit the Mexican-US borderline connected US President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day," Raul Hernandez steered his semi-trailer carrying Toyota pick-up trucks towards California, disquieted however tariffs would impact him.

If Trump goes up with his program to enforce sweeping import duties and manufacturers determination their plants to the United States, galore workers successful Mexico volition suffer, helium said.

"A batch of radical are going to suffer their jobs present if helium does that," the 37-year-old told AFP, waiting successful a agelong queue to transverse into San Diego.

Factories operated by overseas companies are captious for Mexican borderline cities similar Tijuana and the armies of workers who support them running, Hernandez said.

"They supply jobs. They enactment families. If the plants truly halt due to the fact that of tariffs, it volition wounded Mexico and the Mexican people," helium added.

Behind him successful the queue, Omar Zepeda was besides transporting Tacoma pick-up trucks from a adjacent Toyota plant.

Like Hernandez, helium was tense astir the interaction of tariffs.

"I deliberation determination volition beryllium a batch little enactment for america due to the fact that the products volition go much costly and less radical volition bargain them," the 40-year-old said.

"There's a crushed wherefore the plants are here. Maybe the radical who enactment present are much businesslike and the labour is cheaper."

'Difficult times'

A motortruck  loaded with caller   pickup trucks heads to the US-Mexican borderA motortruck loaded with caller pickup trucks heads to the US-Mexican border. Photo: Guillermo Arias / AFP
Source: AFP

Mexico's bluish concern borderlands are location to thousands of factories acknowledgment to taxation breaks and escaped commercialized agreements dating backmost respective decades.

"Most of the families successful Tijuana enactment successful factories and transportation," Zepeda said.

"It's precise uncertain. We don't cognize what's going to happen," helium added. “I deliberation hard times are coming, but let's hold and see."

Taking a interruption from his enactment astatine the Toyota works connected the outskirts of Tijuana, Apolos Vela said tariffs would woody a dense stroke crossed the city.

"It is worrying due to the fact that it would mean that galore radical would beryllium near without jobs ," helium said.

'Tragic for Tijuana'

In Mexican borderline cities similar Tijuana, wherever poorness and transgression are a portion of mundane life, it is not conscionable mill and haulage workers who trust connected cross-border commercialized worthy hundreds of billions of dollars a year.

Selling burritos to bare truckers astatine her roadside stall adjacent to the borderline obstruction built to support retired undocumented migrants, Charito Moreno said tariffs would wounded each of Tijuana if plants occurrence workers.

"Everyone depends connected those businesses. The week the tariffs were introduced, galore radical took clip off, and that's wherefore the economy is slowing down," the 44-year-old said.

If companies heed Trump’s telephone to relocate from Mexico to the United States, "it would beryllium tragic for Tijuana, due to the fact that galore workers would beryllium near without jobs," Moreno said, urging the 2 countries to travel to an agreement.

Cargo trucks queue successful  Mexico heading to the US borderCargo trucks queue successful Mexico heading to the US border. Photo: Guillermo Arias / AFP
Source: AFP

Jumping retired of his motortruck carrying parts for swimming pools successful the United States to drawback a burrito, Antonio Valdez said truckers already had much paperwork to woody with.

"A process utilized to instrumentality an hour. Now it takes each time to cipher and wage taxes," helium said earlier leaping backmost into his motortruck to caput to the border.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday she was moving connected a wide-ranging programme of economical reforms successful effect to the tariffs.

"It's successful our involvement to fortify the Mexican economy," she said.

Trucker Alejandro Espinoza said Mexico should deed the United States wherever it hurts.

"If they enforce tariffs connected us, we won't nonstop them avocados and spot what they bash then," helium said with a chuckle.

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Source: AFP

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