The Trump administration will impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China starting on Feb. 1 over the countries’ roles in facilitating the flow of illicit fentanyl into the United States, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Jan. 31.
The tariffs on Mexico and Canada will be 25 percent, and 10 percent tariffs will be imposed on China.
These tariffs are in response to President Donald Trump’s criticisms of those countries regarding fentanyl and, additionally with Mexico and China, the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States from those countries, Leavitt said.
Canada and Mexico “have allowed an unprecedented invasion of illegal fentanyl that is killing American citizens and also illegal immigrants into our country,” the press secretary said.
“The amount of fentanyl that has been seized at the southern border in the last two years alone has the potential to kill tens of millions of Americans,” Leavitt said.
The move marks a follow-through of a pledge made by Trump in November 2024 to place tariffs on goods from those countries.
“We will really have to do that because we have very big deficits with those countries,” he said.
He added that the administration will impose the tariffs “for a number of reasons” including the influx of illegal immigrants at the U.S.–Mexico border, fentanyl trafficking, and the trade deficits with Mexico and Canada.
Canada and Mexico have vowed to retaliate should Trump go through with the tariffs.
Trudeau said Canada’s border is “safe and secure” and noted that less than 1 percent of the fentanyl and illegal crossings entering the United States come from Canada.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that Mexico has maintained a dialogue with Trump’s team since before he returned to the White House, but she emphasized that Mexico has a “Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for what the United States government decides.”
Trump said he was considering granting an exemption for Canadian and Mexican oil imports, but Leavitt said she had no information to share on the president’s decision on any potential carveouts.
