Key facts
- Bessent said in a CNBC interview that he is optimistic about trade deals with Canada and Mexico.
- Bessent did not elaborate and did not mention Trump's tariff warning to Mexico.
- Trump said on November 12 he would double tariffs on Mexico if it did not stop more than 1,000 migrants.
- Trump chose in July not to extend the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact; negotiations continued.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on November 13, 2026 that he believed the US would secure trade deals with Mexico and Canada. "I am optimistic that we can get trade deals with Canada and Mexico," Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
The treasury chief did not elaborate. Nor did he mention President Donald Trump's warning to Mexico on November 12 that he would double tariffs on the country if it did not stop more than 1,000 migrants walking north toward the United States.
The tariff threat came amid sensitive US trade negotiations with Mexico and Canada that have continued after Trump chose in July not to extend the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact. Trump was elected to a second term as president in 2024 in part over concern among US voters about the border. Since then, Trump has highlighted some migrant caravans but also said in recent months the issue has become less politically potent for him and his fellow Republicans.