U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he intends to move forward with his plan to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican goods starting next week.
Trump made the statement during a joint press conference with the President of France.
The tariffs are part of Trump’s effort to pressure Canada and Mexico into taking stronger action to curb the flow of illegal migrants and fentanyl into the United States. Originally scheduled to take effect on February 4, the tariffs were postponed for 30 days following a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
“The tariffs are coming on time, on schedule,” Trump stated alongside Emmanuel Macron.
As the new deadline—March 4—approaches, a reporter asked Trump whether Canada and Mexico had done enough to prevent the tariffs from being enacted.
“We are moving forward with the tariffs, and it looks like it’s happening very quickly. Many countries have treated us unfairly, not just Canada and Mexico,” Trump responded.
It was unclear whether Trump was referring specifically to his tariff threat against Canada and Mexico or speaking more broadly about imposing tariffs on countries worldwide. His administration has long argued that the U.S. is treated unfairly in global trade. Trump also mentioned that these tariffs could take effect in early April.
Supporting the broader interpretation, Trump did not mention fentanyl or migration issues in his response. Instead, he emphasized the need for tariff reciprocity. However, his ambiguous statement puts pressure on Canada and Mexico to take further action on his concerns.
Together, Mexico and Canada export over $900 billion worth of goods to the U.S., including automobiles, auto parts, and agricultural products.
Both countries have stated that they will impose retaliatory measures if Trump follows through on his threat.
