Trump puts Canada and Mexico tariffs on hold
The flags of Mexico, Canada and the United States are shown near the Ambassador Bridge, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in Detroit.
Paul Sancya/AP
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Paul Sancya/AP
President Trump has agreed to put tariffs on both Canada and Mexico on hold — for now.
Earlier in the day, Trump talked to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and agreed to put planned tariffs on Mexico on hold for a month. The White House confirmed the move.
In a post on X, Sheinbaum said: “The tariffs are on pause for one month from now.” Sheinbaum said her government had agreed to send 10,000 national guard troops to the border to prevent drug trafficking, specifically fentanyl. And the U.S. will work to stop weapons trafficking to Mexico, she added.
Sostuvimos una buena conversación con el presidente Trump con mucho respeto a nuestra relación y la soberanía; llegamos a una serie de acuerdos:
1.México reforzará la frontera norte con 10 mil elementos de la Guardia Nacional de forma inmediata, para evitar el tráfico de drogas…
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) February 3, 2025
Posting on his Truth Social Platform, Trump said the two leaders had a “very friendly conversation,” and reiterated the troop commitment to securing the border with the U.S. that Sheinbaum announced.
Canada’s Prime Minister Trudeau spoke to Trump twice over the course of the day. Trudeau wrote on X Monday afternoon that Canada had committed more resources to border security and to fighting fentanyl trafficking, the ostensible reason for the proposed U.S. tariffs.
Canada had promised retaliatory tariffs, with the possibility of an escalating trade war. These will also be paused 30 days.
President Trump confirmed the news in a post on his Truth Social site . When he was asked earlier in the day by reporters what Trudeau could do to change his mind, he said that he’d like to see Canada become the 51st state, which is overwhelmingly opposed by Canadians.
Over the weekend, Trump had said that a 25% import tax on goods from Mexico and Canada, alongside 10% tariffs on goods from China, would go into effect on Tuesday.
According to Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, Trump is also due to talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping in the next 24 hours.
Mexico has been warning that a tariff war between the two countries would have huge effects, not just for U.S. consumers but also for American companies manufacturing in Mexico.
The largest exporter in Mexico, for example, is the U.S. car company General Motors. Mexico is the No. 1 provider of cars and car parts for the United States. It’s the largest provider of TV and computer screens and one out of every three refrigerators in the U.S. comes from Mexico.
Trump said negotiations with Mexico would continue, led on the U.S. side by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a ‘deal’ between our countries,” he said on social media.
