Trump’s tariffs put strain on Canada and Mexico, may lead to increased costs

The Trump Administration has imposed tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the U.S.’s largest trading partners. Economists warn tariffs, which are taxes on foreign imports, can lead to higher prices for consumers.

President Trump campaigned on promising to bring down inflation. However, one week into his second term, President Trump has shown that he plans to use tariffs, a hallmark of his first term, as a tool.

The leaders of all three countries soon announced they would take retaliatory measures. A day after signing the tariffs, President Trump acknowledged what economists and members of Congress have been saying all along: Americans may find themselves paying the costs.

Glenn Williamson, Founder and CEO of Canada Arizona Business Council, and Mike Huckins, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss these imposed tariffs and what this could lead to.

Thoughts and Opinions

When asked about thoughts on the actions from yesterday, Williamson said, “Canada is a confused nation right now who thought they had a deal, and they woke up one morning and found out the deal isn’t there anymore, so we’re now trying to understand what it is that the president wants.”

This agreement implies plans to deploy National Guard troops at the border, suggesting that this action has been considered in the past.

Huckins then responded that the Mexican government planned on doing some of those items. It wasn’t a total stretch that they agreed upon yesterday, and they were thankful to the administration for reaching the agreement to avoid the tariff and get there for the short time being. 

“We understand it’s not a permanent fix, but glad they got to a resolution yesterday with not too much pain. I think there will be further conversations here over the next 30 days to see what the long-term solution is, but it’s going to take some pain from all sides to get a resolution that can be acceptable by everyone,” said Huckins.