US President Donald Trump announced Friday that the US will impose significant tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China beginning Saturday.
A 25% tariff will be imposed on goods from Canada and Mexico, while a 10% tariff will target imports from China. The tariffs represent an escalation of Trump’s trade policies and follow through on threats made shortly after his re-election in November 2024.
The primary motivation behind the tariffs, according to Trump, is the ongoing issues of illegal immigration, the flow of fentanyl, and trade imbalances.
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Trump criticised Canada and Mexico for their failure to halt the smuggling of fentanyl, which he claimed has caused widespread death in the US and blamed China for being the main producer of the drug.
“China makes the fentanyl, gives it to Mexico, puts it through Canada… It’s killing hundreds of thousands of people a year,” Trump said, reiterating his belief that these three nations have failed the US, reported USA Today.
The tariffs will also extend to oil and gas imports by mid-February, with Canada facing a slightly lower rate of 10% for oil. In addition, Trump revealed plans to impose tariffs on metals such as steel and copper, as well as pharmaceuticals and computer chips in the coming months.
This move is part of his broader strategy to bring more production back to the US and reduce reliance on foreign imports. “We want to bring pharmaceuticals back to the country. And the way you bring it back to the country is by putting up a wall. And the wall is a tariff wall,” Trump said according to The New York Post.
The tariffs are a continuation of Trump’s “America First” trade policies, which include making the US more self-sufficient and addressing trade deficits with countries like Canada, Mexico, and China.
However, this move has triggered strong responses from the affected countries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to respond forcefully to the tariffs, warning of significant economic repercussions for Canada, whose economy is highly integrated with the US.
Economists have also raised concerns about the potential negative impact on consumers, as tariffs generally lead to higher prices on imported goods, which could fuel inflation.
While Trump downplayed these risks, claiming that tariffs promote “success,” some critics argue that his strategy could hurt American consumers and businesses in the long term, according to the news agency Reuters.
