Trump announces gains from Mexico and Canada that were already there or happened under Biden



One of the most significant issues with the Biden Administration was their reluctance to highlight and celebrate their achievements. This tendency to underplay successes can diminish public awareness of their accomplishments. On the other hand, President Trump frequently claims credit for victories, even those that may not be directly attributable to him.

Trump’s recent announcements of agreements with Mexico and Canada regarding border security measures and tariff delays include elements that build upon or mirror initiatives established during the Biden administration.

Key overlaps and continuities include:

Mexico’s Border Security Commitments
Mexico agreed in October 2023 under President López Obrador to invest $1.5 billion in U.S.-Mexico border technology during meetings with President Biden. Trump’s recent announcement of Mexico deploying 10,000 troops to curb fentanyl/migrant flows aligns thematically with this earlier Biden-era agreement, though framed as a new concession. Critics noted the 2025 Trump-Sheinbaum deal echoed this earlier policy, with some calling it a strategic repetition.

Institutional Frameworks
High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED), was revived under Biden in 2021 to address trade and supply chain issues, this framework provided diplomatic infrastructure now being utilized in Trump’s negotiations. Also, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), negotiated under Trump but implemented under Biden, remains the baseline for trilateral trade discussions, though Trump’s tariffs directly challenge its stability

Retaliatory Tariff Precedents
Canada’s $20B retaliatory tariff list mirrors strategies used during Trump’s first-term trade disputes, which Biden had worked to de-escalate. The current cycle reopens tensions Biden’s policies sought to stabilize.

Economic Realities
Biden’s CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and “Buy America” rules already positioned Mexico/Canada as secondary suppliers, a dynamic Trump’s tariffs intensify.

While Trump frames the 30-day tariff pauses and border security pledges as new victories, they operate within structures built or maintained during the Biden administration.

The $1.5B Mexican border tech investment—touted as a Biden achievement in 2023—now resurfaces as a bargaining chip in Trump’s tariff negotiations. This pattern underscores how cross-border policy often involves repackaging prior agreements under new political narratives.

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