President Donald Trump said the implementation of proposed tariffs against Canada and Mexico would begin on March 4.
A White House official confirmed to the Washington Examiner that an additional 10% flat tariff would be put into effect on Chinese goods on March 4. The tariffs imposed on all three nations are largely due to the number of fentanyl deaths in the United States.
The administration acknowledged the backlog of fentanyl already in the West, “but we haven’t seen enough progress on the inputs or the outputs.” Much of the progress limiting illegal immigration in the U.S. is due to Trump’s executive actions, the official claimed, as opposed to efforts from Canada or Mexico.
Earlier this month, on Feb. 3, the president paused the implementation of 25% tariffs from going into effect for one month after negotiations with Canada and Mexico to secure their shared borders.
But there was some confusion about whether the tariffs would begin again after the grace period ended.
NAVARRO: TRUMP GOING ‘BACK TO THE FUTURE’ WITH SWEEPING TARIFF PLAN
On Thursday morning, Trump took to social media to denounce the alleged drugs, including fentanyl, pouring into the U.S. through the northern and southern borders.
“Drugs are still pouring into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops, or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled,” Trump added. “China will likewise be charged an additional 10% Tariff on that date.”
Trump allowed a previous 10% tariff against China to take place, adding to the proposed March tariffs against China.
The president also wrote, “The April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in full force and effect.”
During Trump’s first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, he said he would not stop the tariffs against Canada and Mexico and claimed they would begin on April 2.
“I’m not stopping the tariffs. Millions of people have died because of the fentanyl that comes over the border,” Trump said.
“I have to tell you that, you know, on April 2, I was going to do it on April 1, but I’m a little bit superstitious,” he added. “I made it April 2. The tariffs go on, not all of them, but a lot of them,” Trump told reporters.