WASHINGTON — President Trump will implement massive 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and an additional 10% tariff on Chinese products Saturday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Friday.
Trump threatened the tariffs in November shortly after winning a second term, citing fentanyl smuggling and illegal immigration, but at the time it was widely assumed to be a bargaining tactic.
“The president will be implementing tomorrow 25% tariffs on Mexico, 25% tariffs on Canada, and a 10% tariff on China for the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country,” Leavitt said at a White House press briefing.
Leavitt indicated that there might be exceptions to the new duties — after Trump himself said Thursday he was considering a possible carveout for oil.
Fentanyl produced largely in China and smuggled over US land borders and through the international mail system has killed at least 281,000 Americans over the past four years, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data last updated in August.