The US president, Donald Trump, said on Tuesday, March 4 that for years other countries have used tariffs against the United States and now is the time to use them against other countries. “
Trump, who today approved tariff increases of up to 25 % cons the Mexican, Canadian and Chinese imports, mentioned in a joint session of Congress to Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Canada and the European Union.
“Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades and now it is our turn to start using them against other countries,” Trump said before legislators in their first intervention of their second term against the two cameras.
“This is happening with friends and enemies. The system not fair to the United States,” Trump said that he reiterated that on April 2 they will be launched “reciprocal tariffs” against sectors and countries that take American products both in tariff and non -tariff and other barriers.
“They have scammed us for decades, almost all countries of the earth, and that we will not let it happen again,” Trump insisted, which today launched tariffs against Mexico and Canada because, supposedly, they have not done enough to deal with fentanyl traffic and illegal immigration.
“Mexico wants to content us,” Trump said in relation to extradition to the United States of 29 high -value Mexican drug traffickers.
“But we need Mexico and Canada to do much more than they do. They have to end the fentanil and drugs that enter our country,” he added.
In addition, since the beginning of February, the new Trump administration has imposed 20 % on 10 % batches to all Chinese imports.
Trump said that his protectionist policy will also protect the American agricultural sector and will impose tariffs on agricultural products since April 2, although he acknowledged that “there may be a small adjustment period.”
The president mentioned tariffs on raw materials that he considers strategic such as aluminum, copper, wood and steel.
Trump has initiated a commercial war with its three main commercial partners that puts at risk the survival of the T-MEC Free Trade Agreement and, according to economists, can lead to the United States to greater inflation and possible economic slowdown.