President Trump announced that tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico would take effect on March 4, citing insufficient efforts by these countries to curb drug trafficking into the U.S. He also plans to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on China, doubling the previous rate. Trump emphasized the need for these measures until the drug flow, particularly fentanyl, is significantly reduced. His administration’s tariff threats have raised tensions, as Canadian officials argue their country is not a major fentanyl source. Meanwhile, Mexico has intensified efforts against drug cartels, which dominate fentanyl production for the U.S. market.
President Trump stated on Thursday morning that tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico would be implemented on March 4 “as scheduled,” asserting that those nations have not done enough to curb the drug influx into the United States.
He also announced that China would face an additional 10 percent tariff next week, on top of the previous 10 percent imposed earlier this month, as indicated in a post on Truth Social.
“Drugs are still flooding into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels,” he stated. “A significant portion of these Drugs, a large amount of which is Fentanyl, is produced in and supplied by China.” He emphasized that these tariffs were essential until the drug flow “stops or is significantly reduced.”
To address the issue of migrants and drug trafficking, Mr. Trump threatened to impose tariffs on all goods from Canada, Mexico, and China in early February. However, after Mexico and Canada promised actions such as deploying additional troops to the border and Canada’s appointment of a “fentanyl czar,” he delayed the tariffs for one month.
He proceeded with a 10 percent tariff on all products from China, in addition to the existing tariffs, leading China to retaliate with its own tariffs on American goods.
Further tariffs on the three largest trading partners could exacerbate the economic challenges that have begun to surface as a result of Mr. Trump’s aggressive actions. His threats have created a specific dilemma for Canadian officials, who contend that fentanyl produced in Canada does not present an increasing risk to the United States.
Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents confiscated about 19 kilograms of fentanyl at the U.S.-Canadian border, while nearly 9,600 kilograms were intercepted at the border with Mexico, where cartels manufacture the drug in large quantities. A 2020 Congressional commission examining ways to reduce the drug influx into the United States concluded that Canada is not a significant source of fentanyl or its precursor chemicals.
Conversely, Mexico is a primary source of fentanyl shipments. Recently, the Mexican government has intensified its crackdown on the Sinaloa cartel through a surge of high-profile arrests, drug lab raids, and drug seizures.
After Mr. Trump came close to imposing a 25 percent tariff on Mexican exports earlier this month, Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, deployed 10,000 national guard troops to the border and sent additional soldiers to Sinaloa state, a key area for fentanyl trafficking, leading to significant arrests and drug lab interventions.
It remains uncertain whether these initiatives will satisfy Mr. Trump. His Thursday post seemed to aim at clarifying the timeline for various tariffs after his comments at the White House on Wednesday created confusion regarding the March 4 tariffs.
When questioned about the tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Wednesday, Mr. Trump stated that they would proceed — while referencing April 2, the date when he indicated that another set of tariffs, which he referred to as reciprocal tariffs, would take effect.
Some investors interpreted his comments as an indication that the president intended to further delay the tariffs related to drugs and migration, resulting in an increase in the value of the peso and the Canadian dollar. However, a White House official clarified on Wednesday that the April 2 date was related to different tariffs, not those concerning Canada and Mexico.
“The April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in full force and effect,” Mr. Trump reiterated on Thursday.
Vjosa Isai, Natalie Kitroeff and Paulina Villegas contributed reporting.