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Canada, Mexico Respond With Retaliatory Tariffs In Response to Trump’s Trade Measures
Charlie Kirk Staff
02/02/2025
In response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly imposed tariffs on their exports, Canada and Mexico announced retaliatory tariffs on American goods Saturday. This move comes after Trump signed an executive order authorizing significant import taxes, citing concerns over illegal immigration and drug trafficking as justification.
The executive order imposes a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, while imports from China face an additional 10% tariff. Energy products imported from Canada—including oil, natural gas, and electricity—are also subject to a 10% tariff. The White House justified the decision by stating that illegal immigrants and the flow of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, present “a national emergency.” These tariffs are scheduled to take effect on Tuesday.
Economists warn that if these tariffs remain in place, they could drive inflation higher, contradicting Trump’s campaign promise to lower costs for essential goods like groceries, fuel, and housing. The move also risks damaging the global economy and straining relations with America’s closest trade partners. Additionally, Trump’s order includes provisions to increase tariffs further if Canada or Mexico retaliate, setting the stage for a possible trade war.
Despite this warning, both countries swiftly responded with their own countermeasures.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the White House’s decision, announcing that Canada would impose matching 25% tariffs on $155 billion worth of U.S. imports, including alcohol and fruit.
“The actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together,” Trudeau stated during a press conference.
Expressing frustration over what he called a betrayal of Canada’s long-standing alliance with the U.S., Trudeau reminded Americans that Canadian forces have fought alongside them in conflicts like Afghanistan and have assisted in U.S. disaster relief efforts, including wildfires in California and the response to Hurricane Katrina.
“We were always there standing with you, grieving with you, the American people,” he said.
Trudeau warned that these tariffs would have real economic consequences for workers on both sides of the border but encouraged Canadians to prioritize homegrown products over American goods.
“It is going to have real consequences for people, for workers on both sides of our border,” he said. “We don’t want to be here. We didn’t ask for this, but we will not back down in standing up both for Canadians and for the incredibly successful relationship between Canada and the United States.”
In addition, British Columbia Premier David Eby announced a boycott of U.S. liquor brands from GOP-led states, removing them from government store shelves in direct response to the tariffs.
Mexico Rejects U.S. Accusations
Mexico also issued a strong response, with President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum denouncing Trump’s claim that the Mexican government collaborates with criminal organizations. She announced a set of retaliatory tariffs and additional measures against the U.S.
“We categorically reject the White House’s slander that the Mexican government has alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of meddling in our territory,” Sheinbaum wrote on X.
She also shifted blame back to the U.S., arguing that if American officials were serious about tackling fentanyl trafficking, they would focus on disrupting drug sales within their own cities and cracking down on money laundering that funds organized crime.
“If the United States government and its agencies wanted to address the serious fentanyl consumption in their country, they could fight the sale of drugs on the streets of their major cities, which they don’t do, and the laundering of money that this illegal activity generates that has done so much harm to its population,” she added.
China responded to Trump’s tariffs by announcing that it would file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and take “corresponding countermeasures to resolutely safeguard our own rights and interests.”
“China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes this,” China’s commerce ministry said in a statement.
