Newsman: President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and most Canadian imports and 10% on goods from China, starting on Tuesday.
A lower tariff rate of 10% was set for Canadian energy, including natural gas and oil.
China said it would challenge Trump’s move at the World Trade Organization and take other “countermeasures.”
Mexico and Canada, the top two U.S. trading partners, immediately vowed retaliatory tariffs after President Donald Trump on Saturday followed through with his threat to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.
Trump said the move was to force the countries to stem the flow of migrants and fentanyl across the borders and into the U.S.
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said she preferred dialogue over confrontation in a statement but was forced to respond in kind via a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I’ve instructed my economy minister to implement the plan B we’ve been working on, which includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico’s interests,” Sheinbaum posted on social media but didn’t identify which products would be targeted.
The Mexican president also rejected the White House’s allegation that drug cartels have an alliance with her government, calling it “slander” after Trump’s administration used it to justify the tariffs.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would respond with 25% tariffs against $155 billion of U.S. goods, including alcohol, lumber and appliances, beginning with $30 billion taking effect Tuesday and $125 billion some three weeks later , according to news on international media.
Trump’s action will not only harm Canadians but will have “real consequences” for the American people, Trudeau said.
“(It) will put your jobs at risk, potentially shutting down American auto assembly, plants and other manufacturing facilities,” he said. “They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery store and gas at the pump.”
President Donald Trump also noted in his executive orders that if the targeted countries retaliate against the tariffs imposed, he “may increase or expand in scope the duties imposed under this Executive Order to ensure the efficacy of this action.”
Speaking at the White House on Friday, U.S. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the tariffs target the three countries for hosting the manufacture and transport of illicit drugs that end up in the U.S.
“Canada, Mexico and China have all enabled illegal drugs to pour into America,” Leavitt said.
A fact sheet the White House sent out on Saturday laying out the rationale for the tariffs alleged that the Mexican government was working directly with drug cartels.
“Mexican drug trafficking organizations have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico,” the fact sheet stated. “The government of Mexico has afforded safe havens for the cartels…This alliance endangers the national security of the United States.”
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Trump said at the Oval Office earlier this week that the tariffs may feature an exemption for oil. Such a move could mitigate the risk of a price hike for gasoline, but the inclusion of the exemption remained unclear a day before the tariffs were set to take effect.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a statement Saturday slamming the executive orders.
“The imposition of tariffs under IEEPA is unprecedented, won’t solve these problems, and will only raise prices for American families and upend supply chain,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President and Head of International John Murphy said in the statement.
“The Chamber will consult with our members, including main street businesses across the country impacted by this move, to determine next steps to prevent economic harm to Americans. We will continue to work with Congress and the administration on solutions to address the fentanyl and border crisis,” the statement continued.
