From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 2, 2025
White House: Trump’s tariffs on Canada, China, Mexico to come into effect Tuesday
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleUS President Donald Trump orders 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10% on goods from China starting on Tuesday to address a national emergency over fentanyl and illegal immigrants entering the US, White House officials say.
Energy products from Canada will have only a 10% duty, but Mexican energy imports will be charged the full 25%, the officials tell reporters.
Trump has declared a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to back the tariffs, which allows sweeping powers to address crises.
The White House officials say there will be no exclusions from the tariffs. Moreover, in the case of Canada specifically, they said the “de minimis” US tariff exemption for small shipments under $800 would be canceled.
The moves follow through on a repeated threat Trump has made since shortly after winning last year’s presidential election, and they likely will trigger retaliation and risk igniting a trade war that could cause broad economic disruption for all countries involved.
It is unclear if Trump, who golfed at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Saturday before signing the order, will speak to the media about the duties.
Trump set the February 1 deadline to press for strong action to halt the flow of the opiate fentanyl and precursor chemicals into the US from China via Mexico and Canada, as well as to stop illegal immigrants crossing US borders.
The Times of Israel Community.