Trump proposes 20 percent import tax on Mexico to pay for the wall

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump plans to pay for the border wall with a 20 percent tax on imports from Mexico, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Thursday. Raising import taxes on Mexican goods would likely cause Mexican companies to pass the costs on to U.S. retailers and businesses by making them pay more for products, thus resulting in higher prices for U.S. consumers.

"By doing [the import tax] we can do $10 billion a year and easily pay for the wall just through that mechanism alone. That's really going to provide the funding," Spicer said. When asked about the costs getting passed along to Americans, Spicer said, "I'm not going to get into it."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.