On Thursday, President Donald Trump confirmed that a 25% tariff on imports from U.S. allies Mexico and Canada will commence on Saturday.
In a press briefing from the Oval Office, Trump stated that his administration is committed to imposing tariffs on neighboring nations for “a variety of reasons,” primarily citing a perceived surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, as reported by The Hill.
Trump declared a state of emergency at the southern border on his first day in office.
Just thirty-six hours after, this declaration allowed the Department of Defense to deploy 1,500 troops to the area to facilitate the installation of barriers and implement measures aimed at curbing illegal crossings. A DOD report indicated that these troops were also on standby in Southern California to assist with the Los Angeles County wildfires.
“Over the last four years, the federal government has failed to uphold its duty to enforce border security, leading to a severe immigration crisis in the United States,” Trump’s proclamation stated. Nonetheless, when Congress was nearing the passage of a bipartisan border security agreement in 2024, Trump purportedly pressured Republican supporters to obstruct the bill to enable him to continue criticizing Democrats regarding border issues during his campaign, according to CNN.
Trump referenced a surge in drug trafficking, specifically fentanyl, entering the U.S., alongside a trade deficit, as justification for the tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
“I will be implementing a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico, and it is crucial that we do this due to significant deficits with these countries,” he stated. “These tariffs could potentially increase over time.”
Canada and Mexico are key suppliers of gas, food, and automobiles to the U.S., with numerous U.S. automobile manufacturers engaged in reciprocal shipments across borders during the production process.
The president mentioned that a decision regarding tariffs on oil imports has not yet been made by his administration, as reported by Reuters.
“We might impose them or we might not. A decision will likely be made later tonight,” Trump stated, emphasizing that this determination would be influenced by prices and whether the two nations “treat us fairly.”
