Update [02/03/2025 at 12:16 p.m. EST]: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Monday an agreement with Trump to send 10,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to delay the tariffs for one month.
President Donald Trump is not only not backing down from the tariffs he has imposed on Canada, Mexico and China, he may impose more on other countries.
Trump spoke with reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night, per Fox News. The tariffs will go into effect Tuesday.
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) imposes an additional 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico. There also be a 10% tariff on imports from China.
Trump said in the executive order that the tariffs were necessary because of an “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, [that] constitutes a national emergency.”
Leaders and citizens from Canada and Mexico have spoken out against the tariffs.
Trump has said Canada was”abusive” toward the U.S. in terms of trade.
“Canada has been very abusive of the United States for many years. They don’t allow our banks,” Trump said. “And you know that Canada does not allow banks to go in, if you think about it. That’s pretty amazing. If we have a U.S. bank, they don’t allow them to go in.”
“Canada has been very tough for oil on energy. They don’t allow our farm products in, essentially. They don’t allow a lot of things in,” he added. “And we allow everything to come in as being a one-way street.”
Trump also said the U.S. subsidizes Canada “by the tune of about $200 billion a year.”
“And for what? What do we get out of it? We don’t get anything out of it,” Trump said. “I love the people of Canada. I disagree with the leadership of Canada and something is going to happen there.”
Trump also has his sights on the European Union for more tariffs.
“They don’t take our cars, they don’t take our farm products, they take almost nothing,” Trump said. “And we take everything from them. Millions of cars, tremendous amounts of food and farm products. So the UK is way out of line and we’ll see the UK, but the European Union is really out of line.”
On Saturday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico “categorically reject[s] the White House’s slander against the Mexican government of having alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of intervention in our territory.”
“Mexico not only does not want fentanyl to reach the United States, but anywhere,” she said in the statement. “Therefore, if the United States wants to combat criminal groups that traffic drugs and generate violence, we must work together in an integrated manner, but always under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, collaboration and, above all, respect for sovereignty, which is not negotiable.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has encouraged Canadians to “buy Canada.”
“Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada,” Trudeau posted on X. “Check the labels. Let’s do our part. Wherever we can, choose Canada.”
Trump is also toying with cutting off aid to South Africa after its president signed a land seizure measure.
“Terrible things are happening in South Africa,” Trump said. “The leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things. So that’s under investigation right now.”
His remarks came after he accused South Africa of “treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY” in a post on X Sunday.
( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )
— Donald J. Trump
( Donald J. Trump – Feb 02, 2025, 6:19 PM ET )
South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY. It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human… pic.twitter.com/GrO8OaMUBVTRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) February 3, 2025
