The Trump administration will likely submit legal notification today of its intention to implement tariffs on Mexico on Monday , Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Marc Short said.
But Short said President Donald Trump could "turn that off" over the weekend if negotiations "continue to go well."
"There's a legal notification that goes forward today with a plan to implement tariffs on Monday, but I think there is the ability -- if negotiations continue to go well -- that the President can turn that off at some point over the weekend," Short told reporters at the White House on Friday morning.
Short said the administration is "encouraged" by the progress of the negotiations but made clear that there is still "a long way to go."
"That's the bottom line," Short said.
Short said legal teams are continuing discussions on Friday.
Trump faces a Friday deadline to sign an executive order to ensure the tariffs go into effect by Monday, his deadline for Mexico to meet his immigration demands or face a 5% tariff on all exports to the US.
Trump on Thursday
said "a lot of progress was made" earlier this week in talks with Mexican officials, but he stood by his vow to impose them.
