President Donald Trump defended his recent tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night – and hinted that the European Union may suffer a similar fate.
The tariffs, which were authorized in an executive order on Saturday, will go into effect Tuesday. Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 25% additional tariff will be levied on imports from Canada and Mexico, and a 10% tariff on imports from China.
In the executive order, Trump said that the tariffs stem from an “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, [that] constitutes a national emergency.”
The tariffs have invited international criticism from leaders and citizens alike in Canada and Mexico. During his exchange with reporters on Sunday evening, Trump accused Canada of being “abusive” toward the U.S. in terms of trade.
“Canada has been very abusive of the United States for many years. They don’t allow our banks,” Trump claimed. “And you know that Canada does not allow banks to go in, if you think about it. That’s pretty amazing. If we have a U.S. bank, they don’t allow them to go in.”
“Canada has been very tough for oil on energy. They don’t allow our farm products in, essentially. They don’t allow a lot of things in. And we allow everything to come in as being a one-way street.”
Trump also claimed that the U.S. subsidizes Canada “by the tune of about $200 billion a year.”
“And for what? What do we get out of it? We don’t get anything out of it,” he added. “I love the people of Canada. I disagree with the leadership of Canada and something is going to happen there.”
The Republican leader also said that he will “definitely” impose tariffs against the European Union, which he said the U.S. has a $300 billion trade deficit with.
“They don’t take our cars, they don’t take our farm products, they take almost nothing,” Trump said. “And we take everything from them. Millions of cars, tremendous amounts of food and farm products. So the UK is way out of line and we’ll see the UK, but the European Union is really out of line.”
In a statement on Saturday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her country “categorically reject[s] the White House’s slander against the Mexican government of having alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of intervention in our territory.”
“Mexico not only does not want fentanyl to reach the United States, but anywhere,” the statement read. “Therefore, if the United States wants to combat criminal groups that traffic drugs and generate violence, we must work together in an integrated manner, but always under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, collaboration and, above all, respect for sovereignty, which is not negotiable.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slighted the U.S. by encouraging Canadians to “buy Canada” in response to the tariffs.
“Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada,” Trudeau wrote on X. “Check the labels. Let’s do our part. Wherever we can, choose Canada.”
During Sunday’s exchange with reporters, Trump also discussed the prospect of cutting off aid to South Africa after its president signed a controversial land seizure measure.
“Terrible things are happening in South Africa,” Trump said. “The leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things. So that’s under investigation right now.”
