Trump, Fulfilling Campaign Vow, Imposes Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and Communist China

PALM BEACH, Florida — President Trump on Saturday signed an order to impose stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and Communist China, fulfilling a campaign promise but raising the prospect of increased prices for American consumers.Mr. Trump is declaring an economic emergency to put duties of 10 percent on all imports from China and 25 percent on imports from Mexico and Canada — America’s largest trading partners — except for a 10 percent rate on Canadian oil.The White House said Mr. Trump’s order also includes a mechanism to escalate the rates if the countries retaliate against America, as they have threatened. Mr. Trump says the tariffs are to force the countries to do more to stop the flow of fentanyl into America, but also dovetail with his embrace of protectionist measures to boost domestic manufacturing and as a potential source of revenue for the federal government.The move reflects Mr. Trump’s view of tariffs as a way for the United States to throw around its financial heft to reshape the world.“You see the power of the tariff,” Mr. Trump told reporters Friday. “Nobody can compete with us because we have by far the biggest piggy bank.”The Republican president is making a major political bet that his actions will not worsen inflation, cause financial aftershocks that could destabilize the worldwide economy or provoke a voter backlash. AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate in last year’s election, found that America was split on support for tariffs.It is possible that the tariffs could be short-lived if Canada and Mexico can reach a deal with Mr. Trump to more aggressively address illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling. Mr. Trump’s move against China is also tied to fentanyl and comes on top of existing import taxes.Associated Press

Trump, Fulfilling Campaign Vow, Imposes Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and Communist China

Trump, Fulfilling Campaign Vow, Imposes Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and Communist China

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