US President, Donald Trump will put aggressive new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China on Saturday, February 1, the White House said, affirming he will stick to his February 1 deadline for the new duties that could have widespread effects on the economy.
“I can confirm that, tomorrow, the February 1 deadline President Trump put into place with a statement several weeks ago continues,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during Friday’s briefing.
Canadian officials are expected to meet with White House border czar Tom Homan on Friday in a bid to reach a deal that would stave off the proposed tariffs, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.
But Leavitt’s confirmation of the new tariffs appeared to end speculation on whether the president would follow through on the pledge he made as a candidate to levy the new duties.
She said the tariffs would amount to a 25% duty on Mexico and Canada and a 10% tariff on China “for illegal fentanyl they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country, which has killed tens of millions of Americans.”
“These are promises made and promises kept by the president,” she said.
She didn’t provide any details on precisely how the new tariffs would be implemented, only saying that the fine print would be available for public inspection within the next 24 hours. She similarly declined to say whether they will be applied to oil imports or whether additional exemptions will be included.
Trump this week dismissed the idea that American consumers were reliant on imports from its two North American neighbors.
“We don’t need what they have,” Trump said, referring to Canada and Mexico.
Trump has said he wants Canada and Mexico to stop the flow of undocumented immigrants and illegal drugs into the United States. And for China, Trump has said tariffs would be aimed at forcing the country to make good on what he said was a stated promise to him that the government would execute people caught sending fentanyl to the United States.
Mexico’s president said Friday that her country was awaiting any potential US tariffs with a “cool head.”
“We have a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C for whatever the US government decides. It is very important for the people of Mexico to know that we will always defend our people’s dignity, our sovereignty, and engage in dialogue as equals,” President Claudia Sheinbaum told journalists at a daily news conference.
“No one — on either side of the border — wants to see American tariffs on Canadian goods,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday afternoon in a statement on X.
“I met with our Canada-U.S. Council today. We’re working hard to prevent these tariffs, but if the United States moves ahead, Canada’s ready with a forceful and immediate response,” he added.
