President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs.
He wrote on social media, “On January 20, as one of my many first executive orders, I will be taking all necessary measures to stop Mexico and Canada from imposing a 25% tariff on all products coming into the United States and its ridiculously open borders. I will sign the documents.” , complaining that “thousands of people are flocking to Mexico and Canada, bringing crime and drugs to levels never seen before,” even as violent crime has dropped from pandemic highs.
He said the new tariffs would remain in place “until drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!”
Tariffs, if implemented, Prices may increase dramatically On everything from gas to automobiles. According to the latest census data, the US is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers.
Trump made these announcements on his Truth social site on Monday evening while raising his voice against the influx of illegal immigrants.
CBS News also reported Monday that illegal crossings are on the way to the US-Mexico border Falling to a new low for the Biden administration In November, according to Interior Customs and Border Protection data.
The U.S. Border Patrol is on pace to record fewer than 50,000 apprehensions of migrants crossing the southern border illegally this month.
Trump also expressed his anger at China, saying that he has “spoken several times with China about the massive amounts of drugs being shipped to the United States, particularly fentanyl – but to no avail.”
“Until they stop, we will impose an additional 10% tariff on all of our products coming into the United States on top of any additional tariffs from China,” he wrote.
It is unclear whether Trump will actually follow through on the threats or whether he is simply using them as a negotiating tactic before taking office in the new year.
Most of America's Fentanyl smuggled from mexicoDrug seizures at the border increased sharply under President Joe Biden, and US authorities seized about 21,900 pounds (12,247 kg) of fentanyl in the 2024 government budget year, compared with 2,545 pounds (1,154 kg) seized in 2019. When Trump was president.
If Scott Besant, Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary, is confirmed, he would be one of several officials responsible for imposing tariffs on other countries. He has said on several occasions that tariffs are a tool for negotiation with other countries.
he wrote in a Fox News op-ed last weekBefore his nomination, that tariffs “are a useful tool to achieve the President's foreign policy objectives. Whether it is to induce allies to spend more on their defense, to open foreign markets for American exports, to stop illegal “To achieve cooperation on ending immigration and cracking down on fentanyl trafficking.” , or in deterring military aggression, tariffs can play a central role.”
If Trump moves forward with the threatened tariffs, the new taxes would pose a major challenge to the economies of Canada and Mexico in particular.
They will also cast doubt on the credibility of the 2020 trade deal largely brokered by Trump, which is up for review in 2026.