The United States will impose tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China starting on Saturday, the White House announced Friday, following through on a campaign promise that risks driving up prices for American consumers.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the tariffs are part of President Donald Trump’s effort to penalize the three countries over their role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis and allowing unauthorized migrants into the nation. The U.S. will impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on those from China.
“These are promises made and promises kept by the president,” Leavitt told reporters in the briefing room.
Leavitt defended the move and dismissed questions from reporters about the potential for the tariffs to drive up everyday prices for Americans.
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“The media has this way of just looking at everything in a microscope rather than looking at the whole government economic approach that this president is taking,” she said. “He will effectively implement tariffs.”
She said that Trump “effectively implemented” tariffs during his first term while keeping inflation low. She also added that other actions eventually enacted by Trump, such as implementing tax cuts and drilling oil domestically, could offset any price hikes and keep the cost of groceries and gas low in light of higher tariffs for the three countries, which are some of the United States’ biggest trading partners.
The White House declined to outline what exemptions, if any, they would extend to allow countries to circumvent tariffs. Trump suggested on Thursday he would consider exemptions for oil.
“We may or may not,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “It depends on what the price is. If the oil is properly priced, if they treat us properly — which they don’t.”
Trump has promised for months that he will impose tariffs on some of the U.S.’s closest trade partners.
“Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens,” he said in his inauguration speech.
Republicans told NOTUS this week that while it could take time, they believe Trump’s economic agenda will lower costs for consumers. But the tariffs might make that goal tougher. Economists predict that tariffs will drive up the price of food and other goods.
Democrats criticized the tariff decision.
“Mexico is Texas’ largest trading partner,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett wrote on X. “Trump’s 25% tariffs aren’t just going to raise prices — they’re going to put Texans out of business. Many Texas truck operators, warehousing companies, car dealers, and more won’t survive this tax hike.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego simply mocked the announcement.
“Can we not?” he wrote on X, above a picture mocking how Trump’s tariffs could increase the prices of margaritas and guacamole.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed that his country is ready with “a purposeful, forceful but reasonable, immediate response” should Trump move forward with imposing tariffs on Canada.
“It’s not what we want, but if he moves forward, we will also act,” he said in televised remarks.
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Tinashe Chingarande is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow. Jasmine Wright is a reporter at NOTUS.
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