Trump’s about to hit Mexico, Canada, and China with some hefty tariffs starting Feb. 1. We’re talking 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada, and 10% on stuff coming from China. Why? According to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, it’s all about cracking down on the fentanyl situation, which has caused a lot of harm in the U.S.
Trump’s plan is to use these tariffs as a way to pressure Canada, Mexico, and China to stop letting drugs and illegal immigrants into the U.S. Plus, he says this will help boost the government’s funds, although the U.S. businesses importing those goods (like Walmart and Target) will likely pass the cost onto us, the consumers.
When asked if there’d be any exceptions to the new tariffs, Leavitt had no answers. But Trump’s ultimate goal is to close the trade gap with these countries. For context, the U.S.’s trade deficit with Canada shot up from $31 billion in 2019 to $72 billion in 2023. With Mexico, it jumped from $106 billion in 2019 to $161 billion, mainly because we’re buying more stuff from them now instead of China.
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