Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday said he expects to reach a deal with the United States over immigration before Washington carries out its threat to enact punitive tariffs.
U.S. President Donald Trump says he will impose a tariff on all Mexican goods beginning June 10 if Mexico does not halt a surge in immigrants, mostly from Central America, crossing into the United States from Mexico.
Trump said on Tuesday that he thinks it is more likely the tariffs will be applied and that talks would continue during that time.
Earlier, Lopez Obrador said he was optimistic. "There are signs that it matters to the U.S. officials that there's a deal," he told his regular morning news conference.
Mexico is preparing an immigration proposal to present to U.S. officials at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday in Washington.
"I think the meeting tomorrow will be important and that there will be a deal before June 10, before this tariff comes into effect," Lopez Obrador said.
