U.S. President Donald Trump indicated the country could push forward with plans to place a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports on February 1st.
According to CTV News, Trump suggested the deadline at the White House on Monday after signing multiple unrelated executive orders. Those orders ranged from pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement (again), reversing several Biden-era environmental regulations, and attacking immigration, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and transgender people.
“We are thinking in terms of 25 percent on Mexico and Canada because they are allowing vast number of people, Canada is a very bad abuser also, vast numbers of people to come in and fentanyl to come in,” Trump told reporters on Monday.
It’s worth noting Trump has accused Canada of allowing fentanyl to come into the U.S. before, but the RCMP have reported that the majority of fentanyl made in Canada is bound for international markets and not being trafficked into the U.S. Moreover, the RCMP said some of the chemicals used to make fentanyl enter Canada through the U.S. and Mexico.
One of Trump’s day-one executive orders mandated federal agencies study trade issues, which include alleged unfair trade practices from Canada, Mexico and China, with an April 1st deadline for the reports, months after Trump’s suggested February 1st deadline.
CTV News reported that Trump is also considering imposing a universal tariff on all countries but said that the U.S. isn’t “ready for that yet.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly called on Canada’s political leaders to stand united and “put country first” at a cabinet retreat in Montebello, Quebec.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Canada was ready for Trump tariffs and has prepared responses for several scenarios. That includes imposing counter-tariffs worth as much as $37 billion, and possibly following that with an additional $110 billion in tariffs, depending on what the U.S. does.
Header image credit: Shutterstock
Source: CTV News
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
