U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico take effect, as China takes aim at U.S. farm exports
Image via AP.

Trump tarrifs
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would slap tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days.

President Donald Trump’s long-threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, putting global markets on edge and setting up costly retaliations by the United States’ North American allies.

Starting just past midnight, imports from Canada and Mexico are now to be taxed at 25%, with Canadian energy products subject to 10% import duties.

The 10% tariff that Trump placed on Chinese imports in February was doubled to 20%, and Beijing retaliated Tuesday with tariffs of up to 15% on a wide array of U.S. farm exports. It also expanded the number of U.S. companies subject to export controls and other restrictions by about two dozen.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would slap tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days. Mexico didn’t immediately detail any retaliatory measures.

The U.S. President’s moves raised fears of higher inflation and the prospect of a devastating trade war even as he promised the American public that taxes on imports are the easiest path to national prosperity. He has shown a willingness to buck the warnings of mainstream economists and put his own public approval on the line, believing that tariffs can fix what ails the country.

“It’s a very powerful weapon that politicians haven’t used because they were either dishonest, stupid or paid off in some other form,” Trump said Monday at the White House. “And now we’re using them.”

The Canada and Mexico tariffs were supposed to begin in February, but Trump agreed to a 30-day suspension to negotiate further with the two largest U.S. trading partners. The stated reason for the tariffs is to address drug trafficking and illegal immigration, and both countries say they’ve made progress on those issues. But Trump has also said the tariffs will only come down if the U.S. trade imbalance closes, a process unlikely to be settled on a political timeline.

The tariffs may be short-lived if the U.S. economy suffers. But Trump could also impose more tariffs on the European Union, India, computer chips, autos and pharmaceutical drugs. The American President has injected a disorienting volatility into the world economy, leaving it off balance as people wonder what he’ll do next.

Associated Press


3 comments

  • Michael K

    March 4, 2025 at 6:56 am

    As Warren Buffet said, this is an act of war on our neighbors and allies. Inflation is up, the stock market is down – and the promises made to get the MAGA votes are broken. If you have retirement accounts they are taking a hit. So much for housing affordability – HUD is being gutted. The price of eggs? Health care for the poor? Hey, don’t get sick, Medicaid is being dismantled. Trump is nothing more than a giant middle finger to the world. He’s a sick man and a Russian asset. And it’s costing you dearly.

    The only ones to benefit are the billionaires calling all the shots – oligarchs, just like Russia.

    Happy now Konrad MAGAs?

    Reply

    • Comrade Krasnov

      March 4, 2025 at 7:16 am

      I was reading about patrimonialism somewhere the other day and the whole incompetence and corruption thing reads true so far. At least the people who voted for this clown will feel as much, if not more, pain as the rest of us. Buckle up.

      Reply

      • Earl Pitts American

        March 4, 2025 at 8:28 am

        Good Mornting America,
        Its great to know everyone up there in G@y North Dakota is now sad that they booed our National Anthem at that hockey game.
        Paybacks aer HEII.
        Thank you America,
        Earl Pitts American

        Reply

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