President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to impose sweeping tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China as soon as he assumes office, citing concerns over drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump accused Mexico and Canada of allowing drugs and migrants to flow into the United States, calling the situation an “invasion” and vowing to take immediate action when he returns to the White House.
He pledged to implement a 25 per cent tariff on all products imported from the two neighbouring countries as one of his first executive orders on January 20, 2025.
“This tariff will remain in effect until such time as drugs, in particular, fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country,” Mr Trump said.
He claimed both countries have the “absolute right and power” to address the issue but warned that until they take action, they will “pay a very big price.”
The president-elect also targeted China, alleging that it has failed to curb the production and export of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid blamed for a rise in overdose deaths in the U.S.
He announced plans to impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports on top of existing levies introduced during his previous administration.
“Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through,” Mr Trump stated, claiming that drugs are entering the U.S. “at levels never seen before.”
In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, Liu Pengyu, dismissed Mr Trump’s claims, saying, “China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature. No one will win a trade war or a tariff war.”
Mr Liu also noted that China and U.S. counternarcotics authorities have resumed communication and that “China has taken action in response to U.S. requests for cooperation on certain cases.”
