Trump to talk tariffs with leaders of Canada and Mexico: 'They owe us a lot of money'
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he will talk to leaders from Canada and Mexico on Monday, a day before the 25% tariffs he imposed on the country's top two trading partners go into effect.
Within hours of Trump’s Saturday order, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit back with tit-for-tat retaliatory 25% tariffs on American goods. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was considering "tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico's interests."
"I'm speaking with Prime Minister Trudeau tomorrow morning and I'm also speaking with Mexico tomorrow morning," Trump said Sunday, as he landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, after flying back from his Florida home. "They owe us a lot of money, and I'm sure they're going to pay."
Trump has said tariffs are a way to force the countries to stop the flow of migrants and fentanyl across the borders and into the U.S. Tariffs have been central to Trump’s economic strategy, leaning on them to increase tax revenue and protect jobs. He also views them as tools to aid negotiations with various countries.
On Sunday, Trump also said he wanted the countries to "balance out their trade, number one."
According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. goods trade deficit with Canada was $80.1 billion in 2022, a 68% increase over 2021. Meanwhile, the trade deficit with Mexico stood at $131.1 billion in 2022, a 24% increase over 2021.
A lower tariff of 10% was set for Canadian energy, including natural gas and oil. Trump also has imposed 10% tariffs on goods from China , starting on Tuesday.
During a news briefing with reporters on Saturday, Trudeau said he had not spoken to Trump since his inauguration. Trump said Americans could feel some "short-term pain" from the emerging trade war.
"But long term, the United States has been ripped off by virtually every country in the world," he said, adding that the U.S. had trade deficits with "almost" every country.
"We're going to change it," Trump affirmed. "It's been unfair."
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump to talk tariffs with leaders of Canada and Mexico on Monday
