Donald Trump confirmed Monday that his first economic measures after his inauguration in January would be to increase customs duties on products coming from China but also from Canada and Mexico, decisions that he justifies by the crises linked to opiates and immigration.
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“ On January 20, for one of my many first decrees, I will sign all the necessary documents to impose on the Mexico and at Canada customs duties of 25% on ALL products entering the UNITED STATES », Wrote the president-elect in a publication on his Truth Social network. “ This tax will remain in effect until drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal immigrants stop this invasion of our country ! », he adds.
In a separate post, he announces an increase in customs taxes of 10%, which is added to those already existing and to those additional that he could decide, on ” all the many products arriving from China in the United States “.
He explains that he often raised the problem of the influx of drugs, notably fentanyl, one of the main culprits of the opioid crisis in the United States, with Chinese officials who promised him severe punishment, “ up to the death penalty “, THE ” traffickers “. “ But they never got to the end of things », he regrets.
A key device of its future economic policy
The increase in customs duties, which he often described as his “ favorite expression » during his campaign, is one of the keys to the future economic policy of the president-elect, who is not afraid to relaunch the trade wars, particularly with China, started during his first term.
Concerning China, he promised customs duties of up to 60% for certain products, or even 200% on vehicle imports from Mexico. American laws give the president the necessary tools to implement customs duties by decree, as Donald Trump was able to do several times during his first term, on Chinese and European steel and aluminum.
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