The Wall Street Journal says the Trump administration is leading the U.S. into the “dumbest trade war in history” by imposing tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China.

The Journal’s conservative editorial board on Sunday blasted President Trump for imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico “for no good reason.” Meanwhile, Beijing will receive a 10% tariff on goods exported to the U.S.

“This reminds us of the old Bernard Lewis joke that it’s risky to be America’s enemy, but it can be fatal to be its friend,” the editorial board said.

The White House said it is imposing the tariffs because Canada and Mexico haven’t done enough to halt the flow of illegal narcotics into the U.S. The Journal said Mr. Trump’s justification for the tariffs simply doesn’t make sense.

“Drugs have flowed into the U.S. for decades and will continue to do so as long as Americans keep using them. Neither country can stop it,” the editorial board said.

Mr. Trump seems to believe that America can operate as a closed economy without importing any goods, the Journal said, adding it isn’t the world we live in or one we should want to live in.

The editorial board pointed to the U.S. auto industry as an example of the economic interdependence of the three North American countries. Last year, Canada supplied almost 13% of auto parts for the U.S. market, while Mexico produced nearly 42%.

“Industry experts say a vehicle made on the continent goes back and forth across borders a half dozen times or more, as companies source components and add value in the most cost-effective ways,” the Journal said.

Citing the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Journal said the auto industry in 2023 added more than $809 billion to the U.S. economy — or about 11.2% of the total U.S. manufacturing output. It supported 9.7 million direct and indirect U.S. jobs.

The Journal warned that tariffs will cause “mayhem” in the U.S. agriculture industry. Last year, Canada supplied about 20% of U.S. food products, and Mexico made up about 23%. A number of U.S. growers moved their operations to Mexico because immigration crackdowns have made it hard to find sufficient workers in the U.S.

“Mexico now supplies 90% of avocados sold in the U.S. Is Mr. Trump now an avocado nationalist?” the Journal asked.

The editorial noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to respond to U.S. tariffs on a dollar-for-dollar basis. It said none of this was supposed to happen under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that was negotiated during the first Trump administration.

“The U.S. willingness to ignore its treaty obligations, even with friends, won’t make other countries eager to do deals,” the Journal said.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.