Trump to Set Exact Rates for Mexico, Canada Tariffs Tuesday

By Al Mayadeen English

2 Mar 2025 21:25

Trump's administration may not slap the full 25% tariffs on all Mexican goods and non-energy imports from Canada.

Tariffs on Canada and Mexico will go into effect on Tuesday, but President Donald Trump will decide whether to remain with the scheduled 25%, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced on Sunday.

"That is a fluid situation," said Lutnick on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."

"There are going to be tariffs on Tuesday on Mexico and Canada. Exactly what they are, we're going to leave that for the president and his team to negotiate."

The comments were the first sign from Trump's administration that it may not slap the full 25% tariffs on all Mexican goods and non-energy imports from Canada.

He claimed the two nations have "done a reasonable job" of guarding their borders with the US, but the deadly narcotic fentanyl continues to enter the country.

Trump caused uncertainty last week when he referenced a possible April 2 deadline for tariffs on Canada and Mexico, but he subsequently reinforced the Tuesday deadline and said he will put another 10% duty on Chinese imports on that day, thus doubling the 10% levies imposed on February 4.

Lutnick said Trump is set to impose tariffs on China on Tuesday unless the nation stops allegedly trafficking fentanyl into the United States.

China vowed to take "all necessary countermeasures" after US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports.

In response to Trump’s claims that Beijing is contributing to a deadly fentanyl crisis in the United States, a spokesperson from China’s commerce ministry accused Washington of "shifting the blame."

The statement emphasized that "China is one of the countries with the strictest and most thorough anti-narcotics policy in the world" and criticized the US for "always ignoring these facts."

The spokesperson warned that if the US "insists on going its own way," China will take "all necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests."

The statement also cautioned that the tariff hike "is not conducive to solving [the United States'] own problems" and would "increase the burden on American companies and consumers, and undermine the stability of the global industrial chain."

US companies could take a hit from 'buy Canadian' boycott: Newsweek

Frustration over US President Donald Trump's tariffs and remarks about making Canada the 51st US state has led some Canadians to boycott American products and refrain from traveling to the United States.  

Newsweek, referencing the US Trade Representative's office, reported on Wednesday that in 2024, the United States exported goods worth $349.4 billion to Canada, making it the country's top export market.

If the boycott of American products in Canada gains substantial traction, it could negatively impact US producers economically and possibly lead the new administration to reassess its aggressive stance toward key trading partners, according to the report. 

While some experts told Newsweek that the economic impact is uncertain or likely temporary, others pointed to broader changes in consumer behavior, suggesting that the boycott reflects a more profound shift in Canadians' perceptions of their southern neighbors since Trump’s inauguration last month.

In early February, Canadian national and regional leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urged citizens to boycott US products and prioritize Canadian goods in response to Trump’s decision to impose tariffs.