TRUMP VOWS MARCH 4 TARIFFS FOR MEXICO AND CANADA – The President also announced an extra 10% duty for China over fentanyl
U.S. President Donald Trump said his proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods will take effect on March 4, along with an extra 10% duty on Chinese imports because deadly drugs are still pouring into the U.S. from those countries.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the fresh tariffs on Chinese imports would stack on top of the 10% tariff that he levied on Feb. 4 over the fentanyl opioid crisis, resulting in a cumulative 20% tariff.
China said it had cracked 38,000 drug-related criminal cases, seized 28.1 tons of drugs and captured seven drug fugitives in the past year, without specifying if any of those figures were related to the U.S. or fentanyl.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada “will have an immediate and extremely strong response” if the United States imposes tariffs on Canadian imports next Tuesday (March 4). He added that Canada did not want a trade war with its neighbor.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was hopeful her country could reach an agreement to protect the free trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada.
Trump told reporters he decided to add the extra tariffs on China and stick to the Tuesday (March 4) deadline for Canada and Mexico given what his administration sees as insufficient progress on curbing fentanyl flows into the country.
