U.S. President Donald Trump is taking a tough stance on trade with Mexico, Canada, and China in an effort to combat the deadly opioid crisis plaguing the United States. In a recent interview, top White House economic officials stated that the new tariffs imposed on these countries will remain in place until they take action to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” made it clear that the tariffs will only be lifted if the fentanyl supply is cut off. “If fentanyl ends, I think these tariffs will come off,” he stated. “But if fentanyl does not end, or he’s uncertain about it, he will stay this way until he is comfortable. This is black and white. You got to save American lives.”
Last week, President Trump made a series of tariff decisions that caused a stir in the global market and strained relationships with longstanding allies and trading partners. Initially, he imposed a 25% tariff on exports from Mexico and Canada to the U.S. However, he later excluded Mexican- and Canadian-made vehicles from the duties and eventually delayed the tariffs on almost all items until April 2.
Despite these changes, Lutnick confirmed that the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will go into effect as scheduled on Wednesday. This decision will have a significant impact on Canada and Mexico, who are major exporters of these metals to the U.S.
While there are concerns that these tariffs could lead to a recession in the U.S., Lutnick dismissed these fears. “Absolutely not,” he stated. “There’s going to be no recession in America.” However, he did acknowledge that the tariffs would result in higher prices for U.S. consumers on foreign-made goods. “Some products that are made foreign might be more expensive, but American products will get cheaper, and that’s the point,” he explained. It remains unclear how U.S.-produced goods will become cheaper, but Lutnick emphasized that the goal is to make them more competitive with foreign-manufactured products.
In a recent interview with Fox News, President Trump avoided answering a question about a possible recession caused by the tariffs but stated, “There is a period of transition because what we’re doing is very big.” He acknowledged that there could be some disruptions, such as the stock market losses seen last week. However, he stressed the importance of building a strong country and not focusing solely on short-term market changes.
Trump has given various reasons for imposing these tariffs, including raising government revenue, protecting U.S. jobs, and pressuring foreign manufacturers to relocate their operations to the U.S. However, the top priority, according to Lutnick, is to curb the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, also emphasized the fentanyl issue in an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.” He stated that the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, along with the increased tariffs on Chinese exports, are part of a “drug war, not a trade war.” Hassett believes that these measures will help reduce the tens of thousands of fentanyl-related deaths that have occurred in recent years.
“We hope we’ll round up the cartels,” he said, referring to the pause in the tariffs on Mexico and Canada. “It is a big problem. Get the drug cartels out of Canada and Mexico.”
Both Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have assured Trump that they are taking steps to curb the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. Sheinbaum has even sent 10,000 troops to the northern border with the U.S. to tackle the issue, while Trudeau has ramped up border enforcement. However, it is uncertain whether these efforts will be enough to satisfy Trump and lead to a drop in the tariff increases next month.
Despite the focus on fentanyl, Hassett clarified that Trump’s economic concerns are still a priority. “He’s trying to make it so when we produce something, we produce it at home,” he said. “Bring the jobs home, bring the wealth home. If you want to increase the welfare of Americans, then produce the jobs here.”
In conclusion, President Trump’s decision to keep tariffs in place on Mexico, Canada, and China in order to pressure them to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. is a bold move to
