The US President Donald Trump confirmed that he would impose duties 25% to imports from Mexico and Canada Since February, doing the threats he had made weeks earlier.

General duties on the products of the two countries will come into force on Saturday, February 1st.

However, speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that his government has not yet decided whether imports oil They will be included in the duties, noting that the decision depends on whether the two nations “behave correctly” and “if the oil is correctly priced”. “Oil is not going to have anything to do with what concerns me,” he said. “We will probably decide tonight for oil. Because they send us oil, we will see – it depends on what the price is. “

Trump told reporters that the apparent duties are being used “for a variety of reasons” and “may increase or not increase over time”. “The number one is the people who have pouring our country so horrible and so much,” he said. “The number two are fentanyl drugs and everything else has come to the country, and number three are the huge subsidies we give to Canada and Mexico in the form of deficits.”

“I will impose 25% duties on Canada and 25% separately in Mexico, and we should really do this because we have very big deficits with these countries,” he added.

It is noted that as soon as he returned to the White House, the Republican president announced that he would impose a 25% duty on February 1 on products imported into the US by Canada and Mexico, two countries with which he signed a free trade agreement in his first term.

This is a possibility that is concerned about analysts while the US economy is moving up, growing 2.8% in 2024. Development Unit and Mexico may sink into recession.

For Wentong Zang, a professor at Cornell University, although the shock of imposing duties will not be too big for the US, there is no doubt that it will be more important to the other two countries.

“In such a scenario Canada and Mexico can wait to see their GDP decrease by 3.6% and 2% respectively, while the US by 0.3%”he appreciated. “And China will be influenced by a escalation of the existing trade war, but will benefit from the US tension with Mexico and Canada.”

During his election campaign, Trump said he wanted to impose duties of 10% to 20% on all products imported into the US, even 60 to 100% for products imported from China.

The aim was to financially offset the tax cuts it wishes to do.

Trump states that duties are a response to the inability of the two neighboring US countries to limit the entry of drugs, mainly fentanyl, and irregular immigrants to American territory.

The man who has chosen for the Ministry of Commerce, Howard Latnik spoke of “an act of internal policy” during his hearing from Congress on Tuesday.

“These duties are simply intended to push them to close their borders”he explained. “They are special duties aimed at pushing them to take action”Latnik noted in Canada and Mexico.

Mexican President Claudia Seinbaum appeared optimistic on Wednesday: “We do not believe it will happen. But if it does, we have a plan. “

However, in Mexico there is concern, mainly in the agricultural sector that exports large quantities of products to the US.

“Almost 80% of our exports go to this country and, in any case, anything that can cause us shock worried.”Juan Cortina admitted on Tuesday, head of the National Agriculture Council.

On the Canadian side, the possibility of duties exacerbated the political crisis already facing the government of Prime Minister Justin Trinto, which has now resigned.

Canadian Minister of Public Security David McGindi went to Washington yesterday to present his plan to boost security at the Canadian -American border.

Latnik was very clear on Tuesday: “I know they react quickly”He said, referring to Canada and Mexico. “If they do what they need, they will not impose duties. “

“If there are US duties, Mexico will also increase duties,” President Claudia Seinbaum said at a press conference last week, according to Reuters, adding that this would cause prices for US consumers.

Speaking to CNBC earlier this month, Canada’s International Trade Minister Mary Edz said that “everything is on the table” in response to US duties, refusing to exclude the imposition of tariffs on energy exports to the US. “If you are going to impose duties on Canada, what will actually do is make things more expensive for Americans,” he noted.

However, there are also concerns that duties will hit consumers in Canada and Mexico. Earlier this week, for example, officials from the Central Bank of Canada warned that such measures from the US could create persistent inflation in the country.

The situation is reminiscent of tension with Colombia

The situation is reminiscent of the tension between Washington and Bogota last weekend, when Colombia initially refused to allow the landing of flights to exported by the US.

Trump then announced a series of sanctions against Colombia- including 25% duty and then 50%- to which Gustavo Petro’s Colombian counterpart responded, before the two leaders agreed to the process of repatriation of exported immigrants and taking their threats back. .