by WorldTribune Staff, November 26, 2024 Real World News
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday put on notice U.S. neighbors to the North and South as well as communist China about issues that won him a historic landslide.
He warned that, soon after taking office in January, he will impose steep tariffs on Mexico, Canada if they refuse to stop the flow of migrants over their borders into the U.S. and on China if it fails to stop the trafficking of the deadly drug fentanyl into the U.S.
A caravan of about 1,600 migrants, most of them from Venezuela and Central America, left the southern city of Tapachula near Mexico’s border with Guatemala on Nov. 20. U.S.-bound migrants said that they decided to march north and reach the border before Trump takes office in January.
Trump’s tariff threat comes as human smugglers across the region are urging migrants on social media to rush to the border before the inauguration.
Trump’s pre-emptive MAGA warning shot had immediate effect.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum insisted that migrant caravans are no longer reaching the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Caravans of migrants no longer reach the border,” Sheinbaum said on Tuesday while presenting a letter she plans to send to Trump in the coming days. She also emphasized Mexico’s efforts to curb the flow of drugs, including fentanyl, while noting that it remains “a public health and consumption problem within your country’s society.”
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that on the first day of his presidency he will charge Mexico and Canada a 25% tariff on all products coming into the U.S. He added in a separate social-media post that he would impose an additional 10% tariff on all products that come into the U.S. from China which would come on top of existing tariffs the U.S. has already imposed on Chinese goods.
“As everyone is aware, thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before,” Trump wrote. “Right now a Caravan coming from Mexico, composed of thousands of people, seems to be unstoppable in its quest to come through our currently Open Border. On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on 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 Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”
Trump continued:
“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. 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. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Mexico, China and Canada are the U.S.’s top three suppliers of imported goods, accounting for about 42% of imports this year through September, according to census data. Canada and Mexico send about 80% of their exports to the U.S., and an across-the-board tariff would significantly hurt their economies.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesman at the Chinese embassy in Washington, said: “China believes that China-[U.S.] economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature. No one will win a trade war or a tariff war.”
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump said he would put in place an across-the-board tariff of up to 20% on U.S. imports. Elon Musk, a close Trump ally, posted on X that the proposed tariffs “will be highly effective” in stopping illegal migration and drug trafficking.
The Wall Street Journal noted in a Tuesday analysis: “Various laws empower the president to impose tariffs without authorization from Congress, but most require an economic, commercial or national security justification. It wasn’t immediately clear what legal authority Trump plans to invoke.”
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed on Tuesday he had a “good” call with Trump after the president-elect similarly threatened to impose the tariffs on Canada.
AFTER ONE PHONE CALL FROM TRUMP
Justin Trudeau immediately straightens up on the Border.pic.twitter.com/GMTqSFLnSi
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 26, 2024
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