President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China once he takes office, as part of his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs.
“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% tariff on ALL products entering the United States, and the ridiculous open borders,” wrote him on social media. , which complains that “thousands of people are flooding through Mexico and Canada, pushing crime and drugs to unprecedented levels,” even as violent crimes are down from pandemic highs.
He said the new tariffs would remain in effect “until drugs, especially Fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!”
The rates, if introduced, could raise prices dramatically about everything from petrol to cars. According to the most recent Census data, the US is the world’s largest importer of goods, with Mexico, China and Canada the top three suppliers.
Trump made the announcements on his Truth Social site Monday night as he railed against the influx of illegal migrants.
CBS News also reported Monday that illegal crossings are on the rise at the U.S.-Mexico border plummet to a new low for the Biden administration in November, according to internal Customs and Border Protection figures.
The U.S. Border Patrol is on track to record fewer than 50,000 apprehensions of migrants crossing the southern border unlawfully this month.
Trump also turned his ire on China, saying he has had “many conversations with China about the massive amounts of drugs, particularly Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – but to no avail.”
“Until they stop, we will charge China an additional 10% tariff, above and beyond any additional tariffs, on all of their many products entering the United States of America,” he wrote.
It is unclear whether Trump will actually follow through on the threats or use them as a negotiating tactic before taking office in the new year.
A large portion of American fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico. Seizures of the drug at the border have risen sharply under President Joe Biden, and U.S. officials counted about 21,900 pounds (12,247 kilograms) of fentanyl seized in the government’s 2024 fiscal year, up from 2,545 pounds (1,154 kilograms) in 2019, when Trump was president.
Trump’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, would, if confirmed, be one of several officials responsible for imposing tariffs on other countries. He has repeatedly said that tariffs are a tool to negotiate with other countries.
He wrote in a Fox News op-ed last week, before his nomination, that tariffs are “a useful tool to achieve the president’s foreign policy goals. Whether it’s pushing allies to spend more on their own defense, opening foreign markets to U.S. exports, securing cooperation in ending illegal immigration and banning the fentanyl trade, or deterring of military aggression, tariffs can play a central role.”
If Trump were to continue with the threatened tariffs, the new taxes would pose a huge challenge to the economies of Canada and Mexico in particular.
They would also question the reliability of the 2020 trade deal, which was largely brokered by Trump and is due for review in 2026.
