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President Donald Trump hailed an agreement with Mexico to help stem the flow of migrants to the United States after threatening to impose tariffs.
Under the agreement, in which Mexico agreed to take "unprecedented measures", the duties that were to come into effect Monday were suspended.
"Mexico will do its best, and if they do, this agreement will be very effective," said Trump.
Some feared that tariffs would hurt American businesses and consumers.
According to Mr. Trump's proposal, duties would have increased by 5% every month for products including cars, beer, tequila, fruits and vegetables up to 25% in October.
The agreement was reached after three days of negotiations during which Washington called for a crackdown on Central American migrants.
What do we know about the case?
In a joint statement issued by the US State Department, the two countries said Mexico would take "unprecedented steps" to combat irregular migration and human trafficking.
But it seems that the United States has not received one of their main claims, which would have forced Mexico to welcome asylum seekers heading to the United States and to treat their requests on his own soil.
As part of this agreement, Mexico has agreed to:
- Deploy its national guard throughout the country starting Monday, engaging up to 6,000 additional troops along Mexico's southern border with Guatemala
- Take "decisive steps" to tackle smugglers' networks
The United States has agreed to:
- Expanding its program to return asylum seekers to Mexico pending the reconsideration of their claims. In return, the United States will "work to speed up" the adjudication process
The two countries pledged to "strengthen bilateral cooperation" in border security, including "coordinated actions" and information-sharing.
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The statement added that discussions would continue and that the final terms would be accepted and announced within 90 days.
If the measures taken by Mexico "did not produce the expected results", the agreement provided that additional measures could be taken, but did not specify what they would be.
In a series of tweets about the deal, Trump quoted National Border Patrol Chairman Brandon Judd as saying: "It's going to be a huge deal because Mexico will use its immigration laws – a game changer. People will no longer be released in the United States. "
The Mexican Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, told reporters: "I think it was a good balance because at first they had more radical measures and proposals, and we reached an intermediate point."
Speaking at a separate press conference, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said "we could not be more satisfied with the agreement".
Mr. Trump surprised members of his own party when he announced the proposed rates last week.
Trump's tariff threat retreats – for the moment
By Will Grant, BBC correspondent in Mexico and Central America
It is still unclear whether it was internal pressure within his party or the measures proposed by Mexico that dissuaded Trump from implementing the plan, or perhaps simply an badessment of its potential consequences.
During the interviews, it became clear how closely related the two neighboring economies were, and many argued that a 5% tax on all Mexican products would also harm US suppliers and customers. In addition, the deterioration of the already fragile Mexican economy could have plunged it into a total recession and created more migrants heading north in search of work.
Nevertheless, some felt that bilateral meetings were useful, partly to recognize that both countries are facing a sharp rise in undocumented immigration.
The deployment of military personnel on the southern border of Mexico may have helped to put an end to this dispute. However, President Trump has now linked immigration to bilateral trade and could easily do so in the future if the situation does not improve.
What is the reaction in Mexico?
Mexico is currently one of the largest trading partners of the United States, just behind China and Canada. Two countries also took part in trade disputes with the United States.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who had vowed to stand up to the United States, said that he would not allow Mexico to be Mr. Trump's "badping boy".
But some Mexican politicians felt that he had given too much, too fast and asked to see the details of the deal.
Ángel Ávila Romero, a prominent member of the leftist party PRD, said the agreement was "not a negotiation, but a surrender".
"Mexico should not militarize its southern border, we are not the court of Donald Trump," he tweeted.
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Marko Cortés, leader of the Conservative Party of National Action (PAN), said Mexico's sovereignty and dignity had been damaged, El Universal reported.
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Mr López Obrador said on Twitter that a rally in the border town of Tijuana on Saturday to celebrate Mexico's sovereignty would take place.
What is the situation at the US-Mexico border?
On Wednesday, the United States Customs and Border Protection said that the number of migrant detentions reached its highest level in more than a decade – 132,887 arrests, an increase of 33% compared to April.
Detentions were the highest monthly total since Mr. Trump took office.
Official figures show that illegal border crossings have been decreasing since 2000. In 2000, 1.6 million people were apprehended while attempting to cross the border illegally. That number was just under 400,000 in 2018.
In 2017, the first year of his term, Mr. Trump, the numbers were the lowest since 1971. But the number of arrests has further increased, particularly in recent months.
In February, Trump declared an emergency on the US-Mexico border, saying it was necessary to deal with what he called a crisis.
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