Ivanka disagrees with Trump on family separation, treatment of media
Washington, Aug 3: Ivanka Trump, the daughter of and close adviser to President Donald Trump, on Thursday disagreed with some of the most controversial decisions of her father, including family separation for illegal migrants and his regular attacks on the media, which he calls the "enemy of the people".
"I am very vehemently against family separation and the separation of parents and children," Ivanka said in an interview with C-SPAN when asked about the matter, Efe reported.
Ivanka said that the "zero tolerance" policy adopted by the US government in April, which includes separating parents and children who were apprehended after entering the US illegally over the US-Mexican border, has brought the administration to a "low point".
Nevertheless, the president's oldest child acknowledged that the issue of immigration is a "complex" matter and defended the importance of migrant parents respecting the prevailing laws for the good of their children.
She said that her mother, Ivana Trump, grew up in communist Czechoslovakia and came to this country legally, adding that people need to be very careful not to foster or encourage behavior that puts young children in danger or exposes them to people trafficking.
Ivanka also said she was against the treatment her father - and part of the government - has given to many media outlets, which he frequently refers to as disseminating "fake news" and has dubbed the "enemy of the people."
"I've certainly received my fair share of reporting on me personally that I know not to be fully accurate," Trump told the hosts. "So I've ... had some sensitivity around why people have concerns and gripe, especially when they sort of feel targeted."
"These are not easy issues. These are incredibly difficult issues," she said. "I experience them in a very emotional way."
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
