Canada and Mexico have reacted strongly to President Donald Trump’s decision to impose steep tariffs, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warning that these measures will have “real consequences for the American people.”
Since returning to the White House nearly two weeks ago, Trump has made numerous changes to U.S. policies, signing a record number of executive orders on his first day alone. Some of his earliest actions included revisions to passport and immigration policies.
The Trump administration has now imposed significantly higher import tariffs on several countries, including China, Canada, and Mexico. The new tariffs stand at 25 percent on imports from Mexico and Canada, while Chinese goods face a 10 percent tariff.
As expected, these decisions have sparked strong opposition from officials in the affected countries.
Canada and Mexico Push Back
Shortly before the tariffs were officially detailed on Saturday (February 1), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it clear that Canada was ready to respond.
“We’re ready with a response, a purposeful, forceful but reasonable, immediate response,” Trudeau stated.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the issue during a press briefing on Friday (January 31), emphasizing that Mexico had multiple plans depending on the course of action taken by the U.S.
“We have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, depending on what the government of the United States decides,” Sheinbaum said.
“It is very important for the people of Mexico to know that we will always defend the dignity of our people, that we will always defend respect for our sovereignty, and engage in dialogue as equals, as we have always stated, without subordination.”
Retaliatory Tariffs Announced
In direct response to Trump’s executive order, both Canada and Mexico announced counter-tariffs on Saturday evening.
Canada will impose 25 percent tariffs on CA $155 billion worth of U.S. goods.
Trudeau warned: “It will have real consequences for you, the American people.”
During a speech on Saturday, he further criticized the U.S. administration’s actions, saying: “The actions taken by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together.”
Sheinbaum also took swift action, revealing in a Twitter post that she had instructed her economic minister to implement measures to protect Mexico’s interests.
“We categorically reject the White House’s slander that the Mexican government has alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of meddling in our territory,” the Mexican president stated.
“If the United States government and its agencies wanted to address the serious fentanyl consumption in their country, they could fight the sale of drugs on the streets of their major cities, which they don’t do, and the laundering of money that this illegal activity generates that has done so much harm to its population.”
The escalating trade tensions signal a rocky road ahead as Canada, Mexico, and China push back against the new U.S. tariffs.
