Commerce Secretary Confirms Trump Will Continue Fentanyl-Related Tariffs
“If fentanyl is resolved, I believe these will be lifted,” Lutnick stated.
On March 9, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick mentioned that President Donald Trump is expected to continue exerting tariff pressure on Mexico, Canada, and China over their involvement in fentanyl trafficking to the United States.
“If fentanyl is dealt with, I think these will be lifted. However, if fentanyl remains an issue, or if there is uncertainty, he’ll maintain this stance until he feels assured,” Lutnick remarked during a Sunday interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“It’s straightforward. We need to protect American lives.”
Lutnick also confirmed that the scheduled 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will commence on March 12. Canada and Mexico are prominent exporters of these metals to the U.S., with Canada being the primary source of aluminum imports.
The commerce secretary further downplayed concerns that the president’s global tariffs would trigger a recession in the United States.
“Absolutely not,” he asserted. “There will be no recession in America.”
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Lutnick noted that the tariffs will increase prices for Americans on specific imported goods.
“Some foreign-made products may become pricier, but American goods will become less expensive, and that’s the goal,” he explained.
This next round of tariffs has been postponed until April 2, coinciding with the expiration of Trump’s partial tariff exemption for Canada.
In the meantime, individual Canadian provinces are implementing their own tariffs.
Ontario will continue a 25 percent tax on electricity supplied to about 1.5 million customers in three northern U.S. states starting next week, Premier Doug Ford stated during a Fox News interview on March 6. The province has also excluded American alcohol from its provincial liquor stores, banned U.S. procurement contracts, and is terminating Ontario’s $100 million deal with tech mogul Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service.
British Columbia has similarly removed American-made alcohol from its liquor stores and implemented a directive to restrict the purchase of American products government-wide.
Jennifer Cowan, Emel Akan, and Reuters contributed to this report.
