Despite efforts by Canada and Mexico to strengthen border security and curb fentanyl trafficking, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that a 25% tariff on imports from both countries will move forward as planned. Speaking at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump stated that the tariffs are “going forward on time, on schedule.”
Many had hoped that Canada and Mexico, the United States’ top two trading partners, could persuade the administration to delay or reconsider the tariffs, which would impact over $918 billion worth of imports. While Trump did not explicitly reference the March 4 deadline during the press conference, he later reiterated his broader goal of implementing reciprocal tariffs to align U.S. trade policy with global duty rates and counter trade barriers imposed by other nations.
According to the Associated Press, Trump argues that the tariffs will generate revenue to reduce the budget deficit while also creating new jobs for American workers.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour. She was recently named the 2024 Farm Broadcaster of the Year by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and serves as a Council Member on the World Agriculture Forum. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley and now divides her time between California and North Dakota.