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Now, the pattern of counterproductive and harmful U.S. measures is repeating itself. Trump's threatened tariffs on Mexico won't have much impact on the overall U.S. economy, but they could hurt Mexico, especially since Mexico has liberalized its financial sector so much that capital tends to flee the country at the first sign of trouble. For this reason, when the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled in 2013 that it was going to begin "tapering" its quantitative easing, the Mexican economy was hit pretty hard.
Ironically, Mexico's special vulnerability to our erratic president, and its unhealthy dependence on the U.S. economy are results of the reforms that the U.S. helped foist upon the country in the 1980s and 90s, including NAFTA. It's yet another example of how Washington has created the problems that drive migration at our southwestern border.
[Emphasis added by ed.]
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