President-elect Donald Trump’s Pledge to Impose Tariffs on Mexico and Canada to Crack Down on Migration and Drugs
President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to impose massive tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada starting on his first day in office is an early warning shot to try to force the hand of allies and adversaries to come to the negotiating table on immigration and trade issues, a transition official told CNN.
Trump’s vow to hike taxes on imported goods from Mexico and China would be a key part of a broader strategy to crack down on migration and drugs flowing into the United States. According to the transition official, the move is a tactic that has been used before, and Trump has faith that it will work.
The president-elect’s announcement is seen as a relic of his first term, during which he took a hardline approach towards Latin America, including levying consequences such as sanctions and threatening to impose tariffs. The strategy has been met with criticisms that it could increase inflation and lead to higher prices for consumers.
The move is also seen as a way to build leverage for Trump’s plan to renegotiate the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which went into force in 1994. The agreement requires all three countries to renew it by July 1, 2026, and Trump’s team is expected to seek to renegotiate parts of the deal.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has responded to Trump’s announcement, saying that imposing tariffs will not solve the issue of migration or drug consumption, and that it would trigger a trade war. She also warned that the move would put at risk companies like General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford Motor Company, which have been operating in Mexico for decades.
The timing of Trump’s announcement was unexpected, but its content was not. Trump has frequently pledged on the campaign trail to use tariffs as a negotiating tool to bend China and North American countries’ policies to his will.