Economy, EU, México

Trump confirms he will impose a general tariff of 25% on Mexico and Canada starting March 4.

Trump confirma que impondrá un arancel general del 25% a México y Canadá a partir del 4 de marzo.

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will impose a 25% tariff on imports of products from Mexico and Canada starting this Tuesday.

Tomorrow, 25% tariffs for Canada and 25% for Mexico. And that will begin,’ Trump told reporters at the White House.

Shortly before, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had mentioned that Trump had not yet decided whether to impose the general tariff on Mexico and Canada, a decision he would make this afternoon, considering mainly the issue of fentanyl.

‘I will be with the President pointing out that they have done a good job on the border, but they have not been enough on fentanyl,’ Lutnick said in an interview on CNN on Monday morning. ‘He must decide how he wants to handle this. And that is key for his advisers. We are close to sharing all the details, but he will make the decision this afternoon, and tomorrow we will announce those tariffs.’

Trump also told reporters he would add an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, adding to the initial 10% he implemented last month.

Trump’s statements and those of his cabinet officials have generated confusion in recent days, as they suggest a variety of possible scenarios.

On Sunday, Lutnick mentioned that Trump is evaluating the level of tariffs he will apply to US imports from Mexico and Canada.

‘We are now analyzing how he wants to handle the situation with Mexico and Canada, and this remains fluid. There will be tariffs on Tuesday for both countries. The exact way they will be implemented will depend on the negotiations of the President and his team,’ he said.

On the other hand, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last Friday that Mexico proposed an automotive customs union with the United States for imports from China.

‘An interesting proposal from the Mexican government is to match the tariff levels that the United States applies to China,’ Bessent said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

“It would be a nice gesture if Canada did the same, to strengthen North America in the face of rising Chinese imports from what I consider the most unbalanced economy in modern history,” he added.

Bloomberg, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that Mexico’s proposed tariffs on China would focus on cars and auto parts.

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