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Trump Temporarily Halts Tariffs on Canada and Mexico Following Fentanyl Trafficking Agreements

Staff

President Donald Trump has agreed to temporarily halt the imposition of new tariffs on Canadian imports, extending a similar concession to Mexico, as confirmed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The decision to pause the tariffs for 30 days was made public shortly after a similar announcement regarding Mexican imports.


On Saturday, Trump had announced a 25% tariff on goods from both Mexico and Canada, with an additional 10% on Chinese imports. He also had plans to introduce a 10% tariff on Canadian energy resources. In response, Trudeau had threatened to impose a retaliatory tariff of 25% on $155 billion worth of U.S. goods.


The agreements to suspend the tariffs followed commitments by both Canada and Mexico to enhance efforts to curb the trafficking of fentanyl into the United States. For its part, Canada has unveiled a $1.3 billion border security plan, which includes the deployment of new helicopters, advanced technology, additional personnel, and improved coordination with U.S. authorities. Trudeau announced that Canada would also appoint a "Fentanyl Czar" to oversee these efforts.


In a statement released on Monday, Trudeau said he had a productive conversation with President Trump and expressed satisfaction with the temporary suspension of tariffs, emphasizing that nearly 10,000 personnel are currently dedicated to border security tasks.


Trump praised the agreement on Truth Social, expressing optimism about reaching a comprehensive economic deal with Canada within the 30-day period. He emphasized that the pause in tariffs was a step toward fairness and security, particularly in combating the influx of drugs like fentanyl, which he described as having devastating effects on American communities.


The halt on tariffs for Mexico came after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to deploy 10,000 troops to the country's northern border to prevent fentanyl smuggling. This action underscores the significant role Mexico plays in the fentanyl crisis, given the large quantities of the drug intercepted at the U.S.-Mexico border compared to the Canadian frontier.

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