Mexican cement company says it will 'gladly' provide materials for construction of the border wall

A Mexican company has said it would "gladly" help with the construction of the planned wall on the US southern border, if it is asked.

The president of cement-producing company Cemex told NBC News it would be interested in providing materials for construction of the controversial wall.

Rogelio Zambrano said: "We will gladly do it," adding he did not know what the demand for cement along the wall would be like, nor the companies that had been approached to help with the project - the brainchild of US President Donald Trump.

One of Trump's major campaign pledges was to have a wall built on the border between the US and Mexico, and he repeatedly insisted Mexico would pay for the wall – despite Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto stating this would not happen.

During his first joint session address to Congress, Trump referred to the forthcoming construction of the wall as one of the early successes of his presidency.

The US president has maintained a wall on the US border is necessary to prevent the entry of undocumented immigrants to the country – another of Trump's campaign promises.

Since his inauguration, Trump has suggested several different means of paying for the wall – including taxing Mexican imports, which has not gone down well with Mexico.

Indeed, Mexico warned of striking back if the US imposed a border tax on Mexican imports to pay for the wall. If required Mexico could respond in kind and place tariffs on exports to the US on selected goods its businesses depended most on, Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said on Friday (24 February).

"Without a doubt, we have that possibility, and what we cannot do is remain with our arms crossed," Videgaray said. "The Mexican government would have to respond."