Trump Officially Slaps Canada, Mexico, and China With Tariffs – Citing ‘Illegal Aliens and Deadly Drugs’

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President Donald Trump officially made good on a campaign promise to slap tariffs on China and two of the country’s regional allies on Saturday.

At his Mar-a-Lago resort and residence in South Florida, Trump hit Canada and Mexico with 25 percent tariffs – making an exception for Canadian fuel. Chinese goods will also be impacted by the tariffs. CNN reported:

As Trump has repeatedly promised over the past several months, the tariffs will amount to a 25% duty on all imports from Mexico and most goods from Canada and a 10% tariff on Chinese goods imported into the United States. Although Trump administration officials said Saturday the tariffs were designed to stop the flow of fentanyl and undocumented immigrants, they gave no specific benchmark for the new import taxes to be lifted – other than the cessation of the drugs and undocumented immigrants coming into the country.

Notably, the tariffs included an important carve-out – the tariff on Canadian energy products will be 10%. Many Americans rely on Canadian energy products, including oil, for gasoline and home heating. The cost of those items could rise when the tariffs are put in place.

Saturday’s tariffs amount to a starting gun on what could escalate into a global trade war, with the potential for higher costs, disrupted supply chains and the loss of jobs. Even Trump acknowledged the potential for adverse consequences on American consumers.

A fact sheet on the tariffs obtained by Punchbowl News said they would remain in place until targeted countries helped stop the flow of drugs into the US.

On his Truth Social account, Trump said the tariffs were motivated partially by immigration and illicit drugs killing American citizens.

“Today, I have implemented a 25% Tariff on Imports from Mexico and Canada (10% on Canadian Energy), and a 10% additional Tariff on China,” Trump wrote. “This was done through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl. We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all. I made a promise on my Campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our Borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of it.”