US imposing tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada, as Trump threatened

White House calls the levies – 10% on Chinese imports, 25% on Mexican and Canadian goods – a response to the nations’ failures on fentanyl

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US President Donald Trump is making good on threats to impose tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada, according to the White House. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 3:27am, 1 Feb 2025Updated: 1:02am, 2 Feb 2025

US President Donald Trump will deliver on his oft-repeated trade threat on Saturday, imposing a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, alongside a 10 per cent tariff on imports from China, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday.

The tariffs, a possibility ever since Trump won election in November, are ostensibly part of a broader strategy to force the major US American trading partners to take more decisive action on the fentanyl crisis and escalating migration at the US borders.

The tariffs on the three countries, Leavitt said at a White House briefing, were a response to “the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country, which has killed tens of millions of Americans”.

At a briefing, Leavitt called the tariffs necessary, citing a failure by the three countries to adequately help the US address problems that have been long-running domestic political issues, and which Trump pledged to fix during his election campaign.

The White House offered limited details on how the levies would be imposed, saying that information would be available for review on Saturday. The tariffs are expected to take effect the same day.

The tariffs would stay in place until significant progress is made in halting the flow of illegal drugs and migrants into the US, the White House said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during a briefing at the White House on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE