President Donald Trump reportedly is considering levying 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada as soon as Saturday.
The president, who campaigned on placing tariffs on other countries to compensate for taxes on U.S. goods and lack of cooperation with his administration, doesn't feel Canada and Mexico are taking his threats seriously, advisers told The Wall Street Journal.
Aides are pushing the president to follow through on the tariffs, though no final decisions on Canada and Mexico have been made.
"He’s as serious as a heart attack," Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said of Trump’s threats, the Journal reported.
Trump's threats to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico may be part of a strategy to gain leverage ahead of new negotiations on a regional trade agreement, experts said.
On Sunday, the White House claimed victory in a showdown with Colombia over accepting flights of deported migrants from the U.S., hours after Trump threatened steep tariffs on imports and other sanctions on the longtime U.S. partner.
NBC News reported Friday that Mexico denied the U.S. access to land a military plane transporting illegal immigrants in its country.
However, the Journal said Mexico has made efforts to cooperate with Trump’s repatriation flights by accepting four flights in one day, and has reinstated the remain-in-Mexico policy for migrants while deploying its own national guard, according to a senior administration official said.
Still, it appears momentum is growing among Trump’s advisers to place 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada without allowing for drawn-out talks.
The president also has threatened tariffs on China, Denmark and a range of other European countries.
The Journal reported there is growing alarm in Mexico and Canada that their overtures to the Trump administration are falling flat despite moving to comply with the president’s demands.
One administration official, who told the outlet that the Mexico hadn’t done enough to avoid tariffs, wouldn’t specify what Canada needed to do to avoid new duties.
Trump as recently as Friday suggested Canada become the 51st state, which would save the country from any tariffs.
"We don’t need their cars. We don’t need their lumber," Trump said of Canada. "We don’t need their food products because we make the same products right on the other side of the border."
AFP contributed to this story.
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