Trump announced plans to impose duties on goods from Canada and Mexico starting Feb. 1

US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 25% duties on imports of goods from Canada and Mexico from February 1, but the tariffs may increase. He announced this on January 31 from the White House.

"We will announce tariffs against Canada and Mexico for a number of reasons. First, because of the people who have poured into our country terribly and in huge numbers," - follows from the statement of the American leader, which was published on the YouTube channel of the White House.

Trump noted that the decision is being introduced because of the fentanyl that is making its way into the country, as well as because of the huge subsidies that the United States provides to Canada and Mexico through trade deficits.

At the same time, the American leader did not specify whether or not Canadian and Mexican oil shipments to the US would be subject to duties.

"We can either impose or not impose," Trump said.

White House: what executive orders Trump approved on day one

The number of laws passed in the U.S. in a single day made history

Earlier, on January 24, Trump promised Canada "serious" tax breaks and no trade duties if it agrees to become America's 51st state.

Prior to that, on January 23, the US president described relations with Canada in the field of trade as a deficit of about $200-250 billion and promised to change the situation. Then he said that the neighboring country could avoid imposing 25 percent tariffs if it joined the United States.

On November 26, 2024, Trump said he would impose additional 10 percent duties on goods from China and 25 percent duties on all products from Mexico and Canada. He said China had failed to fulfill a promise to impose the death penalty on fentanyl traffickers, causing "drugs to flood" into the U.S. - mostly through Mexico - on an unprecedented scale.

The Washington Post (WP) reported on Nov. 20 that the trade duties Trump is about to impose could severely damage European Union (EU) countries. According to economists, Trump's "protectionist measures" could cause further recession in Europe and complicate relations between the allies.