US President Donald Trump said on Monday that neither Mexico nor Canada has “any room left” to discuss the tariffs
The president said during a press conference that the tariffs are all set and are going to take effect on Tuesday (March 4). When asked if the extra ten percent still remained for China, he said, “vast amounts of fentanyl pour into our country from Mexico as well as China from where it goes to Mexico and Canada.”
Trump also reaffirmed that he would increase tariffs on all Chinese imports to 20 per cent from the previous 10 per cent levy to punish Beijing for failing to halt shipments of fentanyl to the US.
#WATCH | Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump says, “There is no room left for Mexico or Canada. The tariffs are all set and are going to effect tomorrow…”
(Source: US Network Pool via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/AifaoOGMYU
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2025
According to Reuters, Trump said in an order that China “has not taken adequate steps to alleviate the illicit drug crisis.” Meanwhile, CEOs and economists warned that Trump’s tariff on the two countries could significantly affect – $ 9 billion in annual US imports and disrupt the highly integrated North American economy.
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Countries Promise Counter Measures
The tariffs are set to take effect at 12:01 am local time on Tuesday, the Trump administration confirmed in Federal Register notices, as per the report. From that time, the US Customs and Border Protection agency will begin imposing a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, along with a 10 per cent duty on Canadian energy products.
Mexico’s economy ministry stated that there would be no public response until President Claudia Sheinbaum’s regular morning press conference on Tuesday. She has pledged to react, saying: “We have a plan B, C, D.”
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told reporters that Ottawa was prepared to respond but did not provide details. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that the US tariffs and Canada’s countermeasures would be “an absolute disaster” for both countries, as per Reuters.
“I don’t want to respond but we will respond like they’ve never seen before,” Ford said, adding that Michigan auto plants would likely shut down within a week and that he would halt nickel shipments and cross-border transmission of electricity from Ontario to the US.
China’s commerce ministry on Tuesday pledged countermeasures against Washington’s decision and urged the US to “immediately withdraw” its tariffs, calling them “unreasonable and groundless, harmful to others.”
Trump’s comments made on Monday sent US stocks down sharply in late afternoon trading. The Mexican peso and Canadian dollar both fell following his remarks.
