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‘Dumbest Trade War’ or Stroke of Genius? Trump Uses Tariffs against Mexico, Canada, China

February 3, 2025

President Donald Trump is imposing hefty tariffs on countries involved in trafficking drugs and illegal immigrants into America in what’s being billed as a trade war. Trump announced on Saturday that he has “implemented a 25% Tariff on Imports from Mexico and Canada (10% on Canadian Energy), and a 10% additional Tariff on China.” He clarified, “This was done through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl.” Trump further declared, “We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all. I made a promise on my Campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our Borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of it.”

That same day, Trump issued a series of executive orders imposing duties on Mexico, Canada, and China. Regarding Canada, the president said that “the sustained influx of illicit opioids and other drugs has profound consequences on our Nation, endangering lives and putting a severe strain on our healthcare system, public services, and communities.”

He continued, “This challenge threatens the fabric of our society. Gang members, smugglers, human traffickers, and illicit drugs of all kinds have poured across our borders and into our communities. Canada has played a central role in these challenges, including by failing to devote sufficient attention and resources or meaningfully coordinate with United States law enforcement partners to effectively stem the tide of illicit drugs.”

“The challenges at our southern border are foremost in the public consciousness, but our northern border is not exempt from these issues,” Trump observed. He explained that Mexican drug cartels have established fentanyl and other synthetic opioid laboratories along the U.S.-Canada border and have trafficked those drugs into the U.S. “through both illicit distribution networks and international mail — due, in the case of the latter, to the existing administrative exemption from duty and taxes.” Due to Canada’s “failure to act,” Trump therefore issued an order to “impose, consistent with law, ad valorem tariffs on articles that are products of Canada.”

Trump warned, “Should Canada retaliate against the United States in response to this action through import duties on United States exports to Canada or similar measures, the President may increase or expand in scope the duties imposed under this order to ensure the efficacy of this action.”

“During my first term, I took steps to end the direct flow of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the United States,” Trump declared. He continued, “Since then, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which exerts ultimate control over the government and enterprises of the PRC, has subsidized and otherwise incentivized PRC chemical companies to export fentanyl and related precursor chemicals that are used to produce synthetic opioids sold illicitly in the United States.” Consequently, Trump imposed tariffs on China, too.

He also noted that “Mexico has played a central role in these challenges, including by failing to devote sufficient attention and resources to meaningfully stem the tide of unlawful migration and illicit drugs.” Citing the Mexican cartels’ “intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico,” which “endangers the national security of the United States,” Trump similarly imposed tariffs on Mexico.

While some, like the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal, derided Trump’s tariff policy, calling it “the dumbest trade war in history,” others have lauded the president’s move. Meg Kilgannon, a senior fellow at Family Research Council, told The Washington Stand, “Tariffs are important to the health and vitality of any nation’s economy. Our American consumer market is the best in the world. Charging a premium to foreign countries for access to our market and buyers just makes sense.” She added, “Pairing this access with economic and foreign policy goals is long overdue. This is the kind of America First policy the new coalition of voters who support Trump hoped to see and he is delivering.”

On Friday night’s episode of “Washington Watch,” Richard Stern, director of the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at the Heritage Foundation, explained, “One of the important things about tariffs, keep in mind, is that oftentimes it’s foreign businesses, special interests who have controlled their legislatures, who are the ones that take advantage of these trade deals.”

He continued, “Oftentimes the tariffs [Trump is] talking about strike at the heart of businesses abroad that have regulatory capture of their own government. So it’s a skillful way of going after entrenched powers in those countries to be able to get them to actually follow their agreements, to stop doing nefarious things and to work as good partners with us.”

Stern also pointed out that Trump’s tariffs have “already worked.” He continued, “Famously, between two rounds of golf, he was able to get Colombia to actually take back the terrorists and drug runners that they’ve illegally smuggled here.”

The tariffs Trump imposed Saturday, which are slated to go into effect Tuesday, are also working. Trump announced Monday, “I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States. These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country.”

He continued, “We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period during which we will have negotiations headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico.” He added, “I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a ‘deal’ between our two Countries.”

Shortly afterwards, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would also be conceding to Trump’s demands in order to pause tariffs. “I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl,” he announced, adding that over 10,000 Canadian personnel would be stationed at the northern border. Trudeau continued, “In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering.” He added, “Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together.”

S.A. McCarthy serves as a news writer at The Washington Stand.



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