On Wednesday, President Trump provided a series of evidently contradictory responses regarding the imposition of tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and the European Union.
Earlier this month, he announced an intention to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico, but after the leaders of the two countries promised to strengthen border controls, Trump agreed to postpone the tariffs for one month, with the grace period ending next week.
According to Bloomberg, a reporter asked Trump during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday whether he would proceed with the plan to impose a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico on March 4.
I will not stop the tariffs, Trump responded. He then began to complain about how the USA has been exploited by these neighboring countries for years.
However, Trump later stated that the tariffs on Mexico and Canada would take effect on April 2.
It is currently unclear whether Trump has given the two countries more time, or if he has confused the tariffs on Mexico with the so-called reciprocal tariffs that the Commerce Department and the U.S. Trade Representative are studying to impose on various countries.
When later asked if he had decided to impose specific tariffs on the EU, Trump stated that the tax rate would be set at 25%. But then he also talked about the tariffs on Autos and other Topics.
A White House official mentioned later on Wednesday that the deadline for imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico remains March 4, and Trump has not yet decided whether to allow another extension.
The official also stated that reports on potential reciprocal tariffs will be released in early April, which may also apply to Canada and Mexico, independent of Trump's threats related to drugs...