Businesses will have to accept 'short-term pain' for 'long-term gain' on Mexico tariff, Rep. Andy Biggs says - Fox News

President Trump's threatened tariff on Mexico would initially hurt businesses but eventually help the country in the long-term, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said on Saturday while appearing on "America's News Headquarters."

"I'm with them, I understand that. And they're right," Biggs said when asked about constituents who worried their businesses would suffer.

"I would say this is a long-term issue that we're trying to resolve and hopefully we can get through with as minimal pain for as short a period as possible and I'm hoping that we can avert the actual imposition of the 5 percent tariff, but we've got to solve this border crisis because it is a severe crisis and quite frankly, I think it's going to result in a resolution that will solve the problem and that is good for the country and that will be good for the businesses in my district," he said.

Biggs portrayed Trump as backed into a corner on border security and needing to use tougher negotiating tactics to get Mexico to cooperate.

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Pointing to how Mexico had already sent an envoy, Biggs indicated that Trump's tariff threat would work.

"If this were not going to work to try to ameliorate the border issue that we have, then I would expect Mexico not to send an envoy immediately," he said.

"They've already sent an envoy up to try to negotiate with this administration -- they're going to be arriving next week. That tells me that they realize how important think this. And the president has basically said, 'well, look we've worked with the carrot side, it's time to work with the stick side.'"

Biggs' comments came as the United States tried negotiating a replacement to the North American Free Trade Agreement, while Trump also called out the nation for its inaction on immigration.

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"90% of the Drugs coming into the United States come through Mexico & our Southern Border," he said.

"80,000 people died last year, 1,000,000 people ruined. This has gone on for many years & nothing has been done about it. We have a 100 Billion Dollar Trade Deficit with Mexico. It’s time!"

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