Summary
Donald Trump pledged to impose a 25% tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada on his first day in office, blaming them for failing to stop illegal drugs and immigration.
He also vowed to add a 10% tariff on Chinese goods until drug trafficking into the U.S. ceases.
Economists warn these tariffs could drive up consumer prices and inflation.
While violent crime has declined in recent years, Trump continues to link trade measures to border security and drug issues, echoing his first-term trade policies and immigration stance.
Specific to Canada, there is a long history of free trade with comparable wages in auto sector, such that even some parts are shipped across the border for processing and shipped back.
Trump himself signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (which replaced NAFTA) in his first term ensuring tariff free trade between the 3 nations. So Canada and Mexico are about to learn the lesson that trump’s own signed legislation doesn’t hold water.
