The trade war won by the United States continues. Since January 20, Donald Trump’s inauguration, the American president has multiplied customs duties. If certain taxes, such as the 10 % additional on Chinese products, are already effective, others like the 25 % customs duties on products from the European Union threaten to be soon. One month after the first announcement, L’Express took stock of the commercial sanctions imposed by the United States.
February 4: China is sentenced to 10 % more; Canada and Mexico spared
Less than two weeks after the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States, China, Canada and Mexico open the ball. On February 1, Donald Trump announced 25 % customs duties on Canadian and Mexican products and an additional 10 % on Chinese products. Only the Canadian energy sector is slightly spared, being only taxed up to 10 % in view of its importance in American imports.
This measure was supposed to be effective on February 4. But at the last minute, Ottawa and Mexico City managed to obtain a 30 -day stay. China, however, did not benefit from this preferential treatment.
March 4: 25 % for Mexico and Canada
A month later, what was to happen happened. The reprieve obtained by Mexico and Canada expires. “The customs tariffs, you know, they are all fixed. They will come into force tomorrow,” said Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, adding that there was “no space” for last minute negotiations. Mexico and Canada will therefore no longer escape the 25 % customs duties on their products this Tuesday, March 4. In response, the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said that “customs and non -customs measures” would soon be announced, adding “that no reason” justified the customs duties of Donald Trump against her country.
For the American president, the justification is however all found: he accuses the three countries of promoting the entry of the fentanyl drug in the United States. If Canada and Mexico would not secure their borders enough, China, it would house the production of chemical precursors of this synthetic opioid. The Canadian Prime Minister called the “cans” argument on Tuesday. Justin Trudeau judged that the goal of the American president was to “drop the Canadian economy so that he can then speak of annexation”.
During this same press conference, Donald Trump announced that he also noted customs duties on Chinese products by 10 % from March 4. In return, China announced this same day additional customs duties of 15 % on wheat, corn, chicken and cotton from the United States and entering the territory. Other American products such as sorghum, beef, pork or soy, fruits, vegetables and dairy products will also be the subject of an additional 10 %tax.
These new Chinese taxes will come into force after March 10. “Washington, by acting unilaterally, undermines the multilateral trade system. [Le pays] Weakens the basics of economic and commercial cooperation between China and the United States, “the Chinese finance minister justified in a statement.
March 12: 25 % on steel and aluminum
In a few days, 25 % customs duties should be taxed on steel and aluminum that enter US territory. In February, Donald Trump had signed decrees to make these customs duties effective as of March 12.
Its objective: to protect the national industries which it deems “injured by unfair commercial practices and global overproduction”. Among the countries affected by these customs rights are the main Steel suppliers in the United States, namely Canada, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea. Regarding aluminum taxes, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and China will be the main penalized states.
April 2: “reciprocal” customs duties
This is one of the latest announcements: “reciprocal” customs duties. On Thursday, February 27, the American president said that he was planning to impose these taxes on the United States’s business partners from April 2. The latter will take the following form: if an American product is taxed 40 % by arriving in India, Washington will set up the same level of tax in the other direction.
Always on April 2, agricultural products should also be taxed. In a message posted on his social network Truth Social Monday March 3, Donald Trump invited “the great farmers of the United States” to prepare to “produce many more agricultural products to sell them inside the United States.” “Imported products will be taxed on April 2,” he wrote.
Other announcements could follow. The President recently threatened to impose 25 % customs duties on products from the European Union, without specifying the date on which this measure would come into force. However, the European Commission warned that it would react “firmly and immediately” to new taxes from the United States that would aim for it. In the coming weeks, cars, pharmaceutical products or construction wood could also be targeted.