Earlier today, we reported that Mexico and the U.S. had reached a 30-day agreement to pause tariffs while the two sides worked toward an agreement. Canada has now joined the party with its own 30-day pause, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau making the announcement earlier on X.
President Trump threatened the tariffs in part over what he said were the flow of fentanyl and illegal migrants across the border. As part of the pause, Trudeau said Canada would hire a fentanyl czar and would work across the border to create a “Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering.” Trudeau also noted that Canada would list Mexican cartels as terrorist groups.
A White House spokesperson confirmed the pause, but no such reprieve has been announced for the 10 percent tariff Trump threatened against China. Trump said he would speak with the Chinese president this week, but it’s worth noting that tariffs on goods from the country are nothing new.
While the pause is an encouraging sign for many that the end of the world might not happen this week, some damage has been done. Canadian stores began pulling American alcohol off the shelves as provincial governments banned some products, and the nation as a whole has united online in its distaste for the sudden 180 on Canadian-American relations. Of course, there’s also the risk that negotiations will blow up, and we will end up right back where we started.
[Images: A.PAES, Chip Somodevilla via Shutterstock]
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