Trump Delays Tariff Threats Against Canada and Mexico
For months, Trump has been claiming that fentanyl from Canada required the imposition of punitive tariffs. He later stated that Canada deserved tariffs because it ran a trade surplus against the United States. Simultaneously, he suggested that the entire problem could be resolved if Canada agreed to become the 51st U.S. state.
This week, Trump backed down from his 25% tariff threat against both Canada and Mexico for at least one month without gaining anything. Mexico again promised to deploy troops to help prevent illegal border crossings, a commitment it has repeated in recent years.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised the same $1.3 billion in border security enhancements he pledged in December, this time including the addition of a new "fentanyl czar" in the Canadian government.
