Donald Trump Confirms 25% Tariffs on Canada, Mexico Set for March 4 Deadline

Donald Trump Confirms 25% Tariffs: President Donald Trump said Monday that his tariffs on Canada and Mexico are starting next month, ending a monthlong suspension on the planned import taxes that could potentially hurt economic growth and worsen inflation.

With the March 4 deadline looming, Trump was asked whether Canada and Mexico had done enough to avoid the 25% US duties on imports of goods to which he responded, “The tariffs are going forward on time, on schedule.” The US president spoke during a joint press briefing with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

“We’re on time with the tariffs, and it seems like that’s moving along very rapidly,” the U.S. president said at a White House news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

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While Trump was answering a specific question about the taxes to be charged on America’s two largest trading partners, the U.S. president also stressed more broadly that his intended “reciprocal” tariffs were on schedule to begin as soon as April.

“The tariffs are going forward on time, on schedule, Yes, we will make up a lot of territory. All we want is reciprocal, we want reciprocity. So if someone charges us we charge them, it is very simple. It will be very good for our country. Our country will be extremely liquid and rich again."

That threat comes even as both Canada and Mexico have taken steps to beef up border security and curb fentanyl trafficking, both asks from Trump and the reasoning behind his threatened tariffs.

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This has included the appointment of a fentanyl czar by Canada to coordinate the fight against smuggling of the deadly opioid and reclassifying several drug cartels as terrorist entities. It has also deployed drones, helicopters and other surveillance technologies to its border with the U.S.

Mexico has begun deploying as many as 10,000 national guard troops to its northern border as part of its agreement with the U.S., a deal that President Claudia Sheinbaum said also called on the U.S. to work to stop the flow of firearms into Mexico.

If tariffs were to take effect, Canada has promised a response in the form of retaliatory tariffs, with the federal government having released on Feb. 2, a list of goods it would target first were the across-the-board tariffs to have come into place.

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