President Trump announced that tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will remain in effect starting March 4, citing insufficient efforts to control drug flow into the U.S. He emphasized that a significant amount of drugs, particularly Fentanyl, originate from China, which will face an additional 10 percent tariff next week. The tariffs were implemented to curb drug trafficking and migration, despite previous delays following promises from Canada and Mexico to enhance border control efforts. Trump’s statements aimed to clarify previous confusion about tariff timelines, confirming that while some tariffs would begin on April 2, those on Canada and Mexico are unchanged.
President Trump stated on Thursday morning that tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will commence on March 4 as planned, asserting that those countries are failing to adequately curb the influx of drugs into the United States.
Additionally, starting next week, China will incur an extra 10 percent tariff in addition to the 10 percent already implemented earlier this month, as mentioned in a post on Truth Social by the president.
“Drugs are still entering our Country from Mexico and Canada at extremely high and unacceptable rates,” he remarked. “A significant portion of these drugs, particularly Fentanyl, are produced in, and supplied by, China.” He emphasized that these tariffs were essential until the drug flow “stops or is significantly curtailed.”
To address the ongoing issues of migrants and drug trafficking, Mr. Trump had threatened in early February to apply tariffs on all goods from Canada, Mexico, and China. However, following commitments from Mexico and Canada to take action, such as deploying more troops to the border and appointing a “fentanyl czar” in Canada, he decided to suspend their tariffs for one month.
He proceeded with a 10 percent tariff on all Chinese products in addition to existing tariffs, leading to retaliatory tariffs from China on American goods.
Thursday’s post seemed to be an attempt by Mr. Trump to clarify his intentions, especially after his comments at the White House on Wednesday left some unsure about the status of the tariffs.
When inquired about the tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Wednesday, Mr. Trump indicated they would move forward — yet referenced April 2, a date associated with another set of tariffs he termed reciprocal tariffs.
Some investors read his comments as suggesting that the tariffs related to drugs and migrants might be postponed, resulting in a rise in the value of the peso and Canadian dollar. However, a White House official clarified on Wednesday that the April 2 date pertained to different tariffs and not those affecting Canada and Mexico.
“The April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in full force and effect,” Mr. Trump affirmed on Thursday.