It’s unclear whether Mexico and Canada played a role in President Donald Trump’s tariff fight, but it appears they did – at least momentarily.
Trump boasts that Mexico and Canada agreed to his 25% tariff following a tense standoff with America’s top trading partners.
At least for the time being, Mexico and Canada have outwitted Trump by beefing up border security with measures that are already in place or that are simple to implement.
Mexico and Canada made Trump think he won
I like how Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tortured Trump’s ego into backing down for 30 days. They clearly found out that he despises bad press and much more so spooking the stock market.
All of this, no doubt, contributed to Trump deciding Monday to postpone placing a 25% tax on Mexican and Canadian goods unless those countries stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration, which are merely a pretext for Trump’s larger goal.
Mexico agreed to send 10,000 soldiers to the US-Mexico border, and Canada agreed to strengthen the border with new helicopters, technology, and personnel, including appointing a fentanyl czar, designating cartels as terrorists, and forming a joint strike force to combat organized crime.
A big win for Trump? Sure, let him believe it.
To appease Trump, Canada had already implemented some of those border security measures and added a few more.
And Mexico has already been doing Trump’s dirty work with immigration.
Mexican President Sheinbaum got key concession from Trump
In 2019, then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent thousands of soldiers to Mexico’s southern border to crack down on migrants traveling to the United States.
Recently, Mexico began cracking down on migrants and establishing temporary shelters for Trump’s deportees.
Sheinbaum did not appear to find it difficult to deploy 10,000 soldiers to the border. And she seems content to let Trump perform his victory dance.
“These soldiers will be specifically designed to stop the flow of illegal migrants and fentanyl into our country,” Trump boasted on social media.
Sheinbaum also stated that Trump has pledged to stop the flow of high-powered weapons illegally imported into Mexico, which are used by cartels for drug and people trafficking, as well as the awful carnage there.
Trump did not mention it in his social media post, but if it is genuine, Sheinbaum received a significant concession. Don’t forget that Mexico is suing American gun manufacturers for firearms smuggled into the country.
Trump is only half addressing the fentanyl problem
Trump is not incorrect to target fentanyl trafficking, given that the drug has killed tens of thousands of people in the US.
According to CNN, the majority of the fentanyl (96.6%) comes from Mexico, with Canada accounting for only 0.2%. In fiscal 2024, U.S. border agents said they confiscated 21,889 pounds of fentanyl, with 43 pounds seized at the Canadian border.
What Trump gets wrong is that he has no interest in reducing drug usage or demand in the United States. This makes it almost impossible to eradicate drug trafficking and addiction.
The president has the opportunity to address it by vigorously combating arms smuggling into Mexico and fighting Americans’ drug addiction.
Opinion: Do you think the Constitution will safeguard birthright citizenship? You do not know Trump.
But, nah. This necessitates investment and care for drug users.
Trump isn’t concerned with saving them or preventing others from taking the lethal medicine.
Trump leaves industries vulnerable. That’s wrong.
Trump has larger plans.
He is obsessed with sticking it to Mexico and wants to annex Canada as the 51st state at any cost.
He’s using tariff threats to penalize Mexico and, eventually, force Canada to join the United States. (He has stated as much.) All while attempting to seize Greenland and the Panama Canal through whatever means necessary.
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Trump only responds to money and strength, which must have benefited Trudeau. He stayed firm and prepared to react with a 25% levy on US imports. He galvanized his countrymen and women against Trump’s imperialistic actions.
But, make no mistake. This pause is just that.
Trump’s tariff threats jeopardize entire industries, including cars, restaurants, and beer makers. The same applies to fruit and vegetable farms, warehouses, and packaging and distribution networks.
Overall, the three countries trade around $2 trillion in products and services each year. Trump should not utilize it to fulfill his imperialistic desires.
