President Trump announced Thursday that he will follow through on his plan to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada.
The tariffs, set to take effect Saturday, mark another bold move by Trump to protect American interests and pressure neighboring countries to take responsibility for issues impacting the United States.
“We’ll be announcing the tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a number of reasons,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office.
He pointed to the surging number of illegal migrants crossing the southern border, the influx of fentanyl into the U.S., and the massive trade deficits the U.S. has with both countries.
“I’ll be putting the tariff of 25 percent on Canada and Mexico, and we will really have to do that because we have very big deficits with those countries,” he said.
“Those tariffs may or may not rise with time.”
Holding Canada and Mexico Accountable
Trump has repeatedly criticized both Mexico and Canada for their trade practices and failure to curb the flow of illegal immigration and deadly drugs into the U.S.
The tariffs deliver on a warning he first issued during the final days of the 2024 campaign, when he vowed to take action unless Mexico did more to stop illegal crossings at the border.
The president also hinted that he may include oil in the list of tariffed goods, a move that could further shake North American trade relations.
“We may or may not. We’re going to make that determination, probably tonight, on oil,” Trump said.
“Because they send us oil, we’ll see. It depends on what the price is. If the oil is properly priced, if they treat us properly, which they don’t.”
Trump didn’t hold back in his criticism of America’s northern and southern neighbors, arguing that they have long exploited the U.S. economy.
“Look, Mexico and Canada have never been good to us on trade,” he continued.
“They’ve treated us very unfairly on trade, and we will be able to make that up very quickly because we don’t need the products that they have.”
Trump’s America First trade policy has consistently put U.S. workers and businesses ahead of international agreements that he believes disadvantage the country.
While globalist economists and trade “experts” claim tariffs could lead to higher prices for American consumers, they also acknowledge that Mexico and Canada would suffer far more from a prolonged trade war with the United States.
