US President Donald Trump is imposing tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico "on time and on schedule" despite the countries' efforts to strengthen border security and stop the flow of fentanyl into the US before the March 4 deadline, "Reuters" reports.
"The tariffs are on time, on schedule", Trump said at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. He was asked whether Canada and Mexico had done enough to avoid the punitive 25% tariffs imposed by the United States.
Many had hoped that the United States' two largest trading partners could persuade the Trump administration to delay the tariffs, which would apply to more than $918 billion in U.S. imports from both countries, from cars to energy. That could wreak havoc on the integrated North American economy, with the auto sector particularly hard hit.
Trump did not specifically mention the March 4 deadline. He later referred to his desire for "reciprocal" measures to match the tariff rates and offset trade barriers of all countries, including France.
Trump and Macron did not publicly discuss another obstacle - digital services taxes imposed by France, Canada and other countries, targeting dominant American tech giants including Google, Facebook and Amazon.
Trump has ordered his administration to reopen tariff investigations in countries that impose taxes on digital services of American companies.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed optimism about reaching an agreement with her American counterpart Trump this week to avoid large U.S. tariffs.
She also hinted at possible levies on Chinese goods to secure a deal.
Sheinbaum said negotiations with Washington would continue this week in an attempt to avoid the 25 percent tariffs that Trump agreed on Feb. 3 to suspend for a year. month.
Mexico is under increasing pressure from Washington to do more to curb the illegal flow of migrants and drugs, especially fentanyl.
Sheinbaum called for a closer investigation into how chemical precursors used to produce the deadly opioid arrive in North America.
Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of the Group of Seven (G-7) summit.