President-elect Donald Trump threatened Monday to slap a 25 percent tariff on Mexican and Canadian goods as long as the countries allowed immigrants to flow over the U.S. border.
He also said he’d impose an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods over the Chinese government’s refusal to make good on a promise to use the death penalty on drug dealers.
These actions, Trump said, would take place on the first day of his administration.
Trump outlined the drastic measures in two Truth Social posts Monday night, as he worked on the presidential transition from Mar-a-Lago.
He said the Mexican and Canadian tariffs would apply to ‘ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders.’
‘This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Allies stop this Invasion of our Country!’
The president-elect also suggested that Mexico and Canada had ‘the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem’ – indicating he wanted the neighbors to do more to patrol their borders so migrants couldn’t sneak into the United States.
Trump also voiced frustation that the deadly drug fentanyl was still seeping into the U.S. from China.
‘I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail,’ Trump wrote.
‘Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through, and drugs are pouring into our Country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before,’ the incoming president complained.
‘Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America,’ Trump said.
‘Thank you for your attention to this matter,’ he added.
