President Donald Trump of the United States is expected to decide on Monday the levels of tariffs he will impose on Canada and Mexico early Tuesday, amid last-minute negotiations over border security and efforts to curb the inflow of fentanyl opioids.
It should be recalled that Trump has vowed to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico, with a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy.
The tariffs are scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. EST (0501 GMT) on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated that Trump may not impose the full extent of the tariffs, stating that the president would determine their exact levels.
According to Lutnick, Mexico and Canada have made reasonable efforts to secure their borders with the United States, and Trump is considering what the final tariff levels should be.
“He’s currently thinking about how exactly he wants to handle Mexico and Canada, and it remains a fluid situation. There will be tariffs on Tuesday on Mexico and Canada. Exactly what they will be, we’ll leave that for the president and his team to negotiate,” he said.
“Trump is also expected on Tuesday to raise fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%, unless Beijing halts fentanyl trafficking into the US,” Lutnick added.
