U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reiterated that there will be tariffs on Mexico and Canada, although some exceptions are being considered by President Donald Trump , and that “sections of the market could perhaps get relief until we get to, of course, April 2.”
In an interview with Bloomberg , the US official said that Trump would make his decision on his tariff plans known with an announcement on Wednesday afternoon.
“There will be tariffs, let’s be clear, but what you’re looking at is what sections of the market might have relief until we get to, of course, April 2,” Lutnick said.
He said that Mexico and Canada are showing more ways to try to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, “and if they can stop the flow of fentanyl, the president has an open mind,” he insisted.
“We hope to make an announcement this afternoon, and I think it will be somewhere in between, because Mexico and Canada are making a big effort. So I think a likely outcome is somewhere in between,” he said.
In the interview, he said that Trump has to make the decision, although the expectation is that it will be 25% although there will be some categories that are left out , “it could very well be cars, it could be others as well.”
He stressed that the tariff measures are not intended to start a trade war, but rather to stop the entry of fentanyl into the northern neighbor . He also indicated that a broader review on this issue is planned for April, in which the goods that are excluded after Wednesday’s announcement could be incorporated.
The official recalled that reciprocal tariffs , to equalize the tariffs, taxes and subsidies that other countries have, are still part of the US president’s agenda to be announced on April 2 .
He also noted that the current administration is analyzing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (T-MEC) in order to review whether the different sectors have complied with the provisions of the trilateral trade agreement.
Trump tells Congress that tariffs will continue
The day before, US President Donald Trump gave his first speech to Congress since being inaugurated on January 20.
With the phrase “America is back,” the president of our northern neighbor assured that during this period he has worked to fulfill the goal of making his second term as president “the greatest.”
“The American dream is unstoppable, and our country is on the verge of a resurgence like the world has never seen, and may never see again,” said Trump, who praised the achievements of his first weeks and vowed to press ahead with his bid to radically overhaul the U.S. government.
In this regard, he highlighted his immigration policy , through which, according to Trump, last month there was the lowest number of illegal crossings in years.
Regarding tariffs, he recalled that this word is “absolutely precious” and assured that the second stage will come into effect on April 2 .
Along those lines, he said that the United States charges lower tariffs than other countries, which his administration will correct. “We are not going to allow this to continue happening.”
He stressed that Mexico and Canada have allowed the entry of fentanyl, so he will cut subsidies to these countries, and recalled that his administration has already classified the MS13 (Mara Salvatrucha), the Tren de Aragua and several Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations . “It is time for the United States to declare war on the cartels,” Trump said in his speech to the nation in Congress.
“They are at the level of ISIS,” he said, recalling that last week Mexico transferred 29 drug traffickers considered highly dangerous to the United States, including Rafael Caro Quintero.
It should be remembered that the imposition of 25% tariffs on various Mexican products proposed by Trump, came into effect on March 4, after having been postponed for a month following an agreement with the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum , to stop illegal migration and fentanyl trafficking to the United States, with the dispatch of 10 thousand elements of the National Guard to the northern border .
In response, Sheinbaum called for an informational meeting to be held next Sunday, March 9 at 12:00 noon in the Zócalo of Mexico City , in which she will share the actions that her government will undertake.
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