Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
What happened
President Donald Trump paused his 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada Monday after speaking with their respective leaders, but his additional 10% import tax on Chinese goods took effect at midnight. China said it will retaliate with 10-15% tariffs on U.S. energy products, agricultural machinery and large passenger vehicles, plus restrictions on exports of critical minerals. Beijing also announced an antimonopoly investigation into Google.
Who said what
Trump backed off taxing imports from America's two closest neighbors for 30 days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced measures to beef up security on their U.S. borders to curb immigration and fentanyl trafficking. But it doesn't appear "any of those measures were major concessions," The New York Times said. Mexican National Guard troops have been patrolling the U.S. border for a year and Sheinbaum was already cracking down on fentanyl. And while Trudeau promised a new "fentanyl czar" and cross-border task force, the biggest part of Canada's border plan was announced in December.
This wasn't "some genius power play" by Trump, The Wall Street Journal said in an editorial. But "if the North American leaders need to cheer about a minor deal so they all claim victory, that's better for everyone."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Trump called the China tariffs an "opening salvo" and said he "would be speaking to China, probably in the next 24 hours." He also said he planned to levy import taxes on the European Union "very soon."
-
Political cartoons for January 31Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include congressional spin, Obamacare subsidies, and more
-
Syria’s Kurds: abandoned by their US allyTalking Point Ahmed al-Sharaa’s lightning offensive against Syrian Kurdistan belies his promise to respect the country’s ethnic minorities
-
The ‘mad king’: has Trump finally lost it?Talking Point Rambling speeches, wind turbine obsession, and an ‘unhinged’ letter to Norway’s prime minister have caused concern whether the rest of his term is ‘sustainable’
-
Leadership: A conspicuous silence from CEOsFeature CEOs were more vocal during Trump’s first term
-
The end for central bank independence?The Explainer Trump’s war on the US Federal Reserve comes at a moment of global weakening in central bank authority
-
Can Trump make single-family homes affordable by banning big investors?Talking Points Wall Street takes the blame
-
What will the US economy look like in 2026?Today’s Big Question Wall Street is bullish, but uncertain
-
Tariffs have American whiskey distillers on the rocksIn the Spotlight Jim Beam is the latest brand to feel the pain
-
TikTok secures deal to remain in USSpeed Read ByteDance will form a US version of the popular video-sharing platform
-
Unemployment rate ticks up amid fall job lossesSpeed Read Data released by the Commerce Department indicates ‘one of the weakest American labor markets in years’
-
How will China’s $1 trillion trade surplus change the world economy?Today’s Big Question Europe may impose its own tariffs
