US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his planned 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada would take effect on 4 March as scheduled, citing ongoing drug inflows into the country. He also stated that an additional 10% duty would be imposed on Chinese imports on the same day, supplementing the 10% tariff he had already levied on 4 February.
Trump said the continued flow of drugs, particularly the opioid fentanyl, into the US remained at “very high and unacceptable levels.”
“We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops, or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “China will likewise be charged an additional 10% Tariff on that date.”
The statement clarified confusion over the timeline for the tariffs, which Trump had linked to the fentanyl crisis and US border security. During his first cabinet meeting on Wednesday, his remarks suggested the deadline might be pushed back to 4 April. However, administration officials later clarified that the April deadline pertained to Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” plan, which aims to match import duty rates of other countries and counter trade restrictions, including European nations’ value-added taxes.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNBC that Trump would decide on new tariffs after a study is completed on 1 April. “The schedule is that there’s a study coming out on April 1, and after that the president is going to decide what to do about tariff policies for all countries,” he said, specifically referencing Mexico and Canada.
In response, Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard is set to meet with newly confirmed US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday in an effort to prevent the tariffs.
Meanwhile, Canadian Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said on Thursday that Canada had made progress in tightening border security and combatting drug smuggling, which should address US concerns.
China also weighed in, sending a letter to US Trade Representative Greer urging both countries to resolve trade and economic issues through “equal dialogue and consultation.”
