Following a phone conversation between President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the US has agreed to temporarily suspend new tariffs on Canadian imports for a 30-day period. This pause comes after Trudeau outlined several concessions aimed at addressing concerns raised by the American president.
Trudeau announced via social media that Canada will be implementing a $1.3 billion border security plan, which includes appointing a dedicated official to focus on the fentanyl crisis. Canada will also bolster its border security measures by deploying additional helicopters, advanced technology, more personnel, and increasing cooperation with US authorities. Trudeau emphasized that nearly 10,000 personnel are currently involved in border protection efforts, with more to come.
Further commitments from Canada include designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations, implementing continuous border surveillance, and establishing a joint US-Canada task force to combat organized crime, fentanyl trafficking, and money laundering. Trudeau also revealed a new intelligence directive targeting organized crime and fentanyl, backed by $200 million in funding.
President Trump has consistently asserted that Canada and Mexico haven't taken sufficient action to curb the flow of illegal immigration and drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States. He has also claimed that the US has been subsidizing Canada to the tune of $200 billion annually.
Prior to the call with Trudeau, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the deployment of 10,000 troops to the US-Mexico border in response to tariff threats. Trump had threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all goods from both Canada and Mexico, in addition to a 10% tariff on Canadian energy and a separate 10% tariff on all Chinese imports.
The threat of tariffs had led several Canadian provinces to consider removing American-made alcoholic beverages from their store shelves. The 30-day pause offers a period for both countries to work towards a more permanent resolution.
