WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on June 6 he may impose tariffs on countries, including China, that do not curb the flow of undocumented immigrants from their territory to the United States, if he wins the US election in November.
Trump made the remarks at an event in the border election battleground state of Arizona while responding to an audience question and did not specify the size of tariff he would impose in such a scenario.
Asked about ways he would curb the flow of migrants crossing into the US illegally, Trump said: "We have tremendous economic power."
Trump said if a country, such as China, does not help to curb the flow of immigrants in to the US, "we have these things called tariffs."
Trump added he hoped he would not need to use tariffs to curb illegal immigration, but warned if other countries do not help to reduce it, then he could "tariff the hell out of that country" if re-elected.
Border security and immigration have emerged as top issues for Americans in the run-up to the Nov 5 election where Trump will face US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in a rematch of the 2020 White House contest.
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