Trump's tariff threats create division between Canada, Mexico over security at borders
Mexico City (AP/PTI): Threats by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to impose tariffs have created a split between Canada and Mexico, after Canadian officials said problems with the two countries' borders shouldn't be compared.
On Monday, Mexico's president rejected those comments, which were made following a meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Mexico must be respected, especially by its trading partners,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said, after Canada's ambassador to the US, Kirsten Hillman, told The Associated Press on Sunday that “the message that our border is so vastly different than the Mexican border was really understood”.
Sheinbaum said Canada had its own problems with fentanyl consumption and “could only wish they had the cultural riches Mexico has”.
Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow of migrants and drugs.
Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs at the two countries' border are vastly different.
US customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Mexico's efforts to seize fentanyl before it reaches the US have been lackluster.
Most of the fentanyl reaching the US — where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually — is made by Mexican drug cartels using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia.
On immigration, the US Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone, while there were only 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024. During the same period, US Customs and Border Protection reported 1.53 million encounters with migrants at the southwest border withe Mexico.
Mexico feels especially hurt by the Canadian comments, because Mexican officials claim their government went to bat for Canada in the past. They claim that Trump, during his first term, initially wanted to leave Canada out of the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement in 2018, and Mexico demanded it be included. It is unclear if that was actually the case.
Trudeau also got ahead of Sheinbaum by meeting with the US president-elect first. Both leaders are scrambling to get some assurances before Trump takes office.
Hillman said Canada is ready to make new investments in border security and there are plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. She also noted an agreement between Canada and the US that allows for migrants caught crossing illegally to be sent back to Canada. She said Mexico and the US do not have a similar agreement.
On Monday, Sheinbaum revealed more about her own conversation last week with Trump, saying he “had agreed” that Mexico wanted to focus on intelligence sharing in anti-drug efforts, noting “he said that in his opinion that was good”.
But she said Mexico would reject any direct US intervention in Mexico and continue to enforce the tight restrictions on US law enforcement agencies in Mexico imposed by her predecessor. “That is going to maintained,” she said.
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
