Mexico and Canada hit back with tariffs over Trump's trade move
The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, ordered on Saturday the imposition of tariffs in retaliation for the 25% tariffs imposed on Mexican imports by U.S. President Donald Trump. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a similar decision.
"We categorically reject the slander made by the White House towards the Mexican government, claiming it has ties with criminal organizations, as well as any intentions of interfering with our territory," wrote Sheinbaum on platform X.
Mexico implements "Plan B"
Sheinbaum also wrote that in response to the actions taken by Donald Trump's administration, she instructed the economy minister to implement 'Plan B' that we have been working on, which includes tariffs and other measures "to defend Mexico's interests."
Trump stated that the 25% tariffs on goods imported from Mexico are a response to the country's ineffectiveness in combating illegal migration and the smuggling of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid linked to the deaths of tens of thousands of people annually in the U.S.
The President of Mexico stated that her government does not seek confrontation with the U.S. but rather cooperation and dialogue. She highlighted that Mexican authorities have seized over 44 tons of drugs in four months, including 20 million doses of fentanyl, and arrested over 10,000 individuals connected to these organizations.
Sheinbaum stated that if U.S. authorities aim to tackle the significant issue of fentanyl consumption within their borders, they might consider actively combating street-level drug sales in their major cities, something they currently neglect to do.
Canada also imposes retaliatory tariffs
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Saturday that Canada will impose 25% retaliatory tariffs on American goods valued at 155 billion Canadian dollars (CAD) (approximately 115 billion USD).
Speaking at a press conference in Ottawa, Trudeau stated that tariffs on American goods valued at 23 billion USD will take effect on Tuesday, February 4th, and the remaining tariffs on goods valued at 96 billion USD will be enforced within the next 21 days.
The Prime Minister warned that Canadian tariffs would harm the American economy. He encouraged Canadians to buy Canadian goods and spend their vacations in their own country rather than in the United States.
Trudeau added that other measures are also being considered, including critical minerals, energy production, and other forms of current cooperation.
The decree signed on Saturday by Trump includes the imposition of 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China. Energy resources from Canada will be an exception, subject to a 10% tariff. The new tariffs are set to take effect on February 4th.
The U.S. President had previously demanded both countries stop drug smuggling and illegal immigration. These countries have announced various actions in this area, but Trump deemed them insufficient.
