Time runs and the time for the United States to impose 25% tariffs against Mexico and Canada this Saturday approaches. President Donald Trump continues to consider his plans and “the date remains firm,” as confirmed by the White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, in her first formal press conference since the inauguration of the Republican’s possession eight days ago.
Confirmation comes just two days after the Republican threatened Colombia with rates of up to 50% to its products because President Gustavo Petro had initially rejected accept two military flights of repatriation of deportees. Bogotá ended up accepting the flights just hours after the encounter between both leaders.
In a crowded press room, Leavitt stressed that Trump also considers imposing a new round of 10% tariffs against China, the great rival of the United States on the global board.
Last week, Trump had announced that he would impose these rates against the products of Mexico and Canada from February 1 unless both countries, neighbors and partners in the free trade agreement known as USMCA increase their collaboration with Washington to fight against irregular immigration and the entry of fentanyl in the United States.
Since then, and despite the fact that both the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum and that of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have taken steps to respond to US demands, Sunday’s episode on deportation flights to Colombia seems to have reinforced Trump’s conviction to impose those rates on their neighbors. The Republican is persuaded that tariffs are not only an excellent tool to negotiate. Also to force other countries to “respect” the United States.
“We are going to immediately impose massive rates,” said the new president in a speech on Monday in Miami. “Colombia is traditionally a country with a very, very firm will,” but preferred to step back rather than facing the perspective of levies on its exports to the United States, he added.
It is an idea that Leavitt repeated this Tuesday at his press conference, considering that the way in which the encounter with Colombia was resolved has made the rest of the world “respect” the first power.
Imposing tariffs on Mexico and Canada would be a much more extreme step than towards Colombia. The Andean country exported in the first eleven months of last year about 33,500 million dollars to the United States, 5% of purchases abroad of the first power. The two American countries, on the other hand, total 30%: the exchange with Canada within that period was around 700,000 million dollars; With Mexico, the 776,000 million.
Ordering taxes would make the prices of these products and could shoot inflation within the United States, despite Trump’s campaign promises to cut consumption prices. Also, unleash a commercial war on the continent: both Ottawa and Mexico DF plan to respond with tariffs against US products if Trump fulfills their threats. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, plans to meet on Wednesday with her American counterpart, Marco Rubio, as part of a diplomatic offensive to solve the situation.
The director of the National Council of Economy at the White House, Kevin Hassett, has rejected those predictions. “When people who try to panic about the commercial policy of President Trump calculate what will happen does not take into account the impact of other policies… President Trump will extract more oil, implement tax cuts, reduce regulations and Cut out expenses, ”he promised.
(Tagstotranslate) America
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