Trump to Impose Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China on Feb.1, White House Confirms

TMTPost -- U.S. President Donald Trump will fulfill his promises and move forward with tariffs on major trade partners despite risks of stoking inflation and disruption of the economy, according to a White House press on Friday.

Credit：China Central Television

“I can confirm that, tomorrow, the February 1 deadline President Trump put into place with a statement several weeks ago continues,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a press briefing on Friday.

Leavitt confirmed Trump will be hit Mexcio and Canada with 25% tariffs and China with a 10% duty, on the top of existing tariffs. The move is a retaliation for “the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country,” the press secretary said. “These are promises made and promises kept by the president,” she added.

Leavitt didn’t provide any details on how the new tariffs would be enacted, only saying that the fine print would be available for public inspection within the next 24 hours. She declined to clarify whether they will be applied to oil imports or whether additional exemptions will be included.

Leavitt dismissed a Reuters report earlier that day by stating the report is “false.” Trump is expected to issue tariffs against Canada and Mexico from March 1, the report cited sources familiar with the plan. That suggested a postpone of implementation since Trump has repeated earlier this month he is considering February 1 as the target date for the tariffs. The sources also revealed the president would announce a process for countries to seek exemptions.

Trump later Friday said the administration will “eventually” put tariffs on chips, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals as well as metals such steels and cooper. “Eventually we’re going to put tariffs on chips. We’re going to put tariffs on oil and gas. That’ll happen fairly soon,” the president said, suggesting “around” February 18. “We’re going to build a tariff wall to bring pharmaceuticals back to America,” he said. “The way to do that is by putting up a wall— a tariff wall.”

CNN learned that Canadian officials are expected to meet with White House border czar Tom Homan on Friday, seeking a deal that would stave off the proposed tariffs. But Trump insisted tariffs on goods from these countries. Asked whether Canada, Mexico and China could do anything to stop the implementation of the tariffs, Trump replied, “No, not right now.” He said Canada will likely face the extra tariff rate on oil less than 10%.

"China makes the fentanyl, gives it to Mexico, puts it through Canada, puts it through different places, mostly Mexico, but also a lot through Canada," Trump said. "And so all three haven't treated us very well." He also said he will impose tariffs on the European Union at later time since the bloc “has treated us so terribly.”

Trump has threatened in November massive tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico once he takes office. In a post on November 25 on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said his first of “many” executive orders on January 20, the day he takes office, would introduce 25% tariffs on goods entering the US from Canada and Mexico, and will also increase existing tariffs on China by 10%.

Trump last week signaled he could impose tariffs as he previously pledged on Chinese trade at the beginning of February, though not taking actions on his first day in office as he previously warned.

“We’re talking about a tariff of 10% on China based on the fact that they’re sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada,” Trump told reporters at the White House on January 21 evening. “Probably Feb. 1 is the date we’re looking at,” the newly inaugurated president added.

Trump also reiterated his team is considering imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The president said late Monday that his administration is thinking of slapping 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

“We're thinking in terms of 25% on Mexico and Canada, because they're allowing vast numbers of people — Canada's a very bad abuser also — vast numbers of people to come in, and fentanyl to come in,”Trump said on January 20. The president said a target date for the tariffs would be “Feb. 1.”

For China, an additional 10% tariff will be charged on goods coming from China, on top of any other tariffs until cracks down on fentanyl being smuggled out the country. 10% is lower than Trump threatened before. As a candidate, he has had vowed to slap 60% tariffs on all goods coming in from China and 10% tariffs on goods imported from all other countries.

“China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature. No one will win a trade war or a tariff war,” said Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in the U.S. on X following Trump’s threat in November. “China is one of the world’s toughest countries on counternarcotics both in terms of policy and its implementation. Fentanyl is an issue for the US,” China’s Foreign Minstry spokesperson said. The spokesperson urged U.S. not to take China’s goodwill for granted and work to ensure that the hard-won positive dynamics will stay in the counternarcotics cooperation.