White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer now says slapping a 20 percent tax on imports from Mexico is just one of several options on the table for paying for a wall along the southern border.
Spicer says President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision about how the U.S. will recoup the costs of his proposed border wall.
Spicer had said earlier Thursday that Trump wanted to slap a 20 percent tax on all imports from Mexico and predicted the tax would generate US$10 billion a year.
He had told reporters on Air Force One that Trump has discussed the idea with congressional leaders and wanted to include the measure in a comprehensive tax reform package.
But Trump's chief of staff Reince Priebus said later that the administration has "a buffet of options" to pay for the wall.