Ahead of his inauguration, the president-elect is already prompting action in favor of national sovereignty as one border nation was quick to respond to an executive order warning.
Weeks out from the return to the White House, President-elect Donald Trump is already at work to hit the ground running to “Make America Great Again.” This includes a promised return of law and order at the border, for which Canada quickly responded when confronted with the likelihood of a “25% Tariff on ALL products.”
The New York Times reported, per a Canadian official, that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trump about two hours after the GOP leader had issued a Truth Social post on first-day executive orders for a conversation that “was constructive and focused on trade and security at the border.”
Prior to their chat, the president-elect issued statements to America’s neighbors and China as he wrote in part, “Right now a Caravan coming from Mexico, composed of thousands of people, seems to be unstoppable in its quest to come through our currently Open Border.”
“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” he continued. “This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!”
Noting they both had the “absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem,” Trump also garnered a reaction from Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
In a joint statement released Monday, they expressed, “Canada places the highest priority on border security and the integrity of our shared border. Our relationship today is balanced and mutually beneficial, particularly for American workers.”
“Today, Canada buys more from the United States than China, Japan, France, and the UK combined. Canada is essential to US domestic energy supply, and last year 60 percent of US crude oil imports originated in Canada,” added the statement that specifically referenced efforts to curb fentanyl.
Read the joint statement from @cafreeland and me:
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Lisez la déclaration conjointe de @cafreeland et moi: pic.twitter.com/g9unlJrOEe
— Dominic LeBlanc (@DLeBlancNB) November 26, 2024
On that front, China was also warned of an additional 10% tariff added to existing tariffs if they didn’t commit to their own promises to counter the opioid crisis.
“The Chinese side has notified the US side of the progress made in US-related law enforcement operations against narcotics,” Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu reacted in a statement reported by The Guardian. “All these prove that the idea of China knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States runs completely counter to facts and reality.”
Meanwhile, as Mexican officials remained mum on the matter, with the nation’s Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard previously asserting, “If you put 25 percent tariffs on me, I have to react with tariffs,” Trudeau also preemptively bucked open borders in Canada prior to the American election.
“We’re going to significantly reduce the number of immigrants coming to Canada for the next two years,” he posted to X in late October. “This is temporary — to pause our population growth and let our economy catch up. We have to get the system working right for all Canadians.”
We’re going to significantly reduce the number of immigrants coming to Canada for the next two years. This is temporary — to pause our population growth and let our economy catch up.
We have to get the system working right for all Canadians.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 24, 2024
Eswar Prasad, a professor of trade policy at Cornell University, told the Times, “The increasing specificity of Trump’s tariff threats, both in terms of the amounts and the countries to be targeted, indicates the strong possibility that these are looming actions rather than just blustery threats.”
To that end, StoneX Financial currency trader Mingze Wu told Bloomberg, “Risk sentiment is getting crushed for now on Trump’s tariff risks — the dollar is being viewed as a haven, and the affected nations’ currencies like the Mexican peso are getting hammered.”
“This may just be a taste of what’s to come,” the trader added as the U.S. dollar gained in Asian trading against all but the yen while the currencies of Canada and Mexico faltered.
Aside from official statements from government officials, supporters of the president-elect were more than ready for “The Art of the Deal” to counteract the policies of the Biden-Harris administration.
It’s not so much tariffs, but the threat of tariffs, that will be one of Trump’s greatest weapons. This was the plan all along.
— First Words (@unscriptedmike) November 26, 2024
It will shock many Americans how quickly the caravans stop coming once Trump is back in the Oval Office.
— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) November 26, 2024
Everybody needs to get put on notice
— BrooklynP8triot (@BklynP8triot) November 26, 2024
This is awesome! This will show other countries that America is no longer a pushover! Finally some real leadership!
— Ragged old flag (@jabner0525) November 26, 2024
“Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
LOL, he’s a dream come true.
— Ivory Bill (@Genterline) November 26, 2024
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