I personally hope they do it. We need angry Americans to take to the streets.
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/trump-tariffs-effect-canada-mexico-china-retaliates/story?id=119417925'Dumb': Canada, Mexico blast historic Trump tariffs, threaten retaliationU.S. tariffs are at their highest level since 1943, Yale's Budget Lab said.
ByKevin Shalvey, Karson Yiu, Ellie Kaufman, and Max Zahn
March 4, 2025, 1:20 PM
America's closest neighbors, Canada and Mexico, excoriated President Donald Trump for slapping historic tariffs on goods from their countries.
Trump's broad tariffs went into effect on Tuesday, along with increased duties on goods from China, a move that prompted a swift retaliation from Beijing.
"President Trump continues to demonstrate his commitment to ensuring U.S. trade policy serves the national interest," the White House said in a statement.
Goods entering the U.S. from Mexico and Canada will carry a 25% tariff, while those from China will be subject to a 10% increase on existing tariffs, according to the White House.
U.S. tariffs are at their highest level since 1943, Yale's Budget Lab said.
On Feb. 27, Trump alleged that illicit drugs such as fentanyl had continued to enter the U.S. through Mexico and Canada despite agreements reached last month to address the issue.
Since September, nearly all fentanyl seized by the U.S. came through the Southern border with Mexico, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, or CBP, a federal agency. Less than 1% of fentanyl was seized at the Northern border with Canada, CBP found.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sharply criticized the tariffs, calling them a "dumb" policy that does not "make sense."
The reason for the tariffs is based on a false allegation about Canada as a major source of drugs entering the U.S., Trudeau added.
"It’s an example of [Trump] not really being able to see what it is that he wants, because even the excuse that he’s giving for these tariffs today of fentanyl is completely bogus, completely unjustified [and] completely false," Trudeau said.
Trudeau also slammed Trump for warming relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in discussions about the Russia-Ukraine war. "They've chosen to do this while appeasing Putin," Trudeau said.
In response, Canada slapped a 25% retaliatory tariff on $30 billion worth of goods. Tariffs on an additional $125 billion worth of products will take effect in 21 days, Trudeau said.
"We will not back down from a fight," Trudeau added, saying Canadians would punish the U.S. with their pocketbooks.
"We are going to stop consuming American products," Trudeau said, pointing to public anger spotlighted at recent sporting events during which Canadians booed the U.S. national anthem. "We are going to continue to boo the U.S. anthem. We aren't booing the America people -- just this unjust policy."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who leads the nation's most populous province, said his government could end a contract with Elon Musk-owned satellite internet service Starlink and shut off power to the U.S.
"We will retool for new markets and new customers," Ford said.
Hours after Trudeau's remarks, Trump vowed to impose additional tariffs in response to Canada's countermeasures.
"Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a Retaliatory Tariff on the U.S., our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also slammed the tariffs and announced plans to impose retaliatory tariffs.
Sheinbaum rebuked remarks made by Trump on Monday alleging that "vast amounts of fentanyl" have entered the U.S. from Mexico. Sheinbaum cited CBP data showing that seizures of fentanyl from Mexico declined 50% between October 2024 and January 2025.
"There is no motive or reason, nor justification that supports this decision that will affect our people and our nations," Sheinbaum said. "We have said it in different ways: cooperation and coordination, yes; subordination and interventionism, no."
Sheinbaum said she will speak over the phone with Trump on Thursday, and if no deal can be reached, she’ll announce the tariff and non-tariff measures at a rally on Sunday.
China's response
Within minutes of the new U.S. tariffs taking effect, China unveiled on Tuesday its initial response by placing additional 10% to 15% tariffs on imported U.S. goods, like chicken, wheat, soybeans and beef.
Those duties will be on top of similar tariffs imposed back during the first Trump administration’s trade war in 2018. Some of those tariffs are already at 25%, though Beijing issued some waivers as a result of the 2020 "phase one" trade deal.
The new Chinese tariffs are set to come into effect for goods shipped out next Monday, March 10.
