As a reason for the trade war with Canada – But also Mexico and China – US President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to the flow of fentanyl and migrants who illegally cross the border. And according to the White House, the prevailing situation is a “national emergency”.
“Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the United States from drugs that flow across borders from Mexico and Canada,” Trump writes on Truth Social on Monday.
But of just under 3 million care such as American border police made in 2024, only 200,000, ie about 6 percent, took place along the border with Canada. The fentanyl fittings along the border with Canada amounted to 19 kilos last year. Along the border with Mexico, the figure was 9,600.
Matt Eamer retired this spring from his role at the Canadian border police. He says that the number of migrants for a period was high, but that new stricter laws in Canada have had an effect.
“Never seized fentanyl”
And when it comes to fentanyl, he says:
– During the eleven years I have worked with border security, we have never seized fentanyl that has been on its way to the United States. However, we have seized many cocaine, weapons and other things that were smuggled into Canada, with the United States as a country of origin.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also said that less than 1 percent of fentanyl entering the United States comes from his country.
When asked what Matt Eamer thinks when he hears Trump’s reasons for introducing 25 percent trade tariffs against Canada, he answers:
– It would be nice to see him do something about the border problems with his own goods that come north to Canada and which put our population in danger.