Politics

This Monday, Donald Trump confirmed: the first economic measures to be taken during his second term will involve increasing tariffs on products from China, Mexico and Canada. 

The American president-elect wrote on his Truth Social network: “On January 20, in one of my many first executive orders, I will sign all the necessary documents to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada on ALL products entering the United States.” He added that “this tax will remain in effect until drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal immigrants stop invading our country!”

The Republican businessman, in another message, also announced that customs taxes would rise by 10%, coming on top of existing taxes and those he may yet plan on “all the many products coming into the US from China”. Clearly, Trump isn't afraid of a trade war, with higher tariffs a key component of his economic policy. 

For their part, China and Canada reacted by highlighting their trade and economic relationship with the US, which both countries say is “mutually beneficial”. “Especially for American workers”, Justin Trudeau's government stressed. Canada remains “essential to the energy supply” of the United States.

(MH with Manon Pierre - Source : France info - Picture : Donald Trump speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America via Wikicommons under license Creative commons CC-BY-SA-2.0)