Economy Trump's new tariffs initially also suspended for Canada

SDA

3.2.2025 - 23:14

ARCHIVE - US President Donald Trump (l) and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shake hands. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP/dpa
ARCHIVE - US President Donald Trump (l) and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shake hands. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP/dpa
Keystone

After Mexico, US President Donald Trump is now also granting neighboring Canada a reprieve from the tariffs he has threatened. The punitive tariffs, which were due to come into force at midnight (local time), will be suspended for a month, wrote Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on X. Trump confirmed the postponement via the Truth Social platform, which he co-founded.

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In return, Canada agreed to make concessions on border security. "Canada is implementing our 1.3 billion dollar (870 million euro) border plan - reinforcing the border with new helicopters, technology and personnel, improving coordination with our American partners and increasing resources to stop the flow of fentanyl," said Trudeau.

In addition, almost 10,000 forces have been and will continue to be deployed to secure the border and further measures will be taken against cross-border crime.

In the USA, fentanyl has already led to an enormous drug problem with tens of thousands of deaths. According to the US Institute for Drug Abuse Research, more than 70,000 people died from an overdose of synthetic opioids - mainly fentanyl - in 2021 alone.

Threat of a trade war

In recent days, a trade war has been brewing between the USA and its neighbors Canada, Mexico and China. Trump had announced that he wanted to combat his country's considerable trade deficit with the other countries with the help of tariffs. Canada immediately announced retaliatory tariffs on imports from the USA.

In the case of Mexico, Trump relented after a meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum and suspended the tariffs for the month of February. In return, Mexico is to send 10,000 soldiers to the common border to curb illegal border crossings and drug smuggling, among other things.