Tariffs on Goods From Canada and Mexico Will Begin on Saturday, the White House Says

President Trump will make good his threat to impose tariffs on goods imported from Mexico, Canada, and China on Saturday. He is also planning to impose tariffs on the European Union, although the start date for the EU wasn’t immediately clear. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said he would “absolutely” impose tariffs on the EU because it has “treated us so terribly.”Additionally, the president said he plans to impose tariffs on semiconductor chips, oil and gas, and pharmaceuticals. He also said he plans to add “a lot of tariffs on steel…and aluminum, and ultimately copper,” but did not provide an exact date for those tariffs. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, was asked earlier on Friday about a report by Reuters that Mr. Trump planned to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada starting on March 1.Ms. Leavitt insisted the story was “false.” Instead, she said, “I was just with the president in the Oval Office, and I can confirm that tomorrow, the February 1 deadline that President Trump put into place with a statement several weeks ago continues.” Speaking only about Mexico, Canada and China, Leavitt said there would be no delay in implementing those tariffs and that they would take effect immediately. She said that in addition to the tariffs for goods imported from America’s two neighboring countries, Mr. Trump will also impose a 10 percent tariff on goods from China “for the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country.When asked if the tariffs would increase prices for Americans at the grocery store, Ms. Leavitt said, “Americans who are concerned about increased prices should look at what President Trump did in his first term…President Trump is going to do everything he possibly can to cut the inflation crisis.”However, she declined to speculate on whether Trump would lift tariffs if prices rise and Leavitt did not share details on what, if any, products would receive an exception from the tariffs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 337 points at 44,544.66 after the news of the tariffs.Mr. Trump has previously threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada due to the flow of migrants into America. Before he took office on January 20, Axios reported that he would hold off on implementing the tariffs, which led markets to breathe a sigh of relief. However, hours after that report, Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he would impose the tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Prime Minister Trudeau told reporters on Friday he has developed a “purposeful, forceful, but reasonable, immediate response” to the tariffs and said Canada would not “relent until tariffs are removed.”

Tariffs on Goods From Canada and Mexico Will Begin on Saturday, the White House Says

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