Tariffs on Canada, Mexico imports 'on schedule' despite nations' border efforts

President Donald Trump said on Feb 24 that tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports are “on time and on schedule”, despite efforts by the countries to beef up border security and halt the flow of fentanyl into the US ahead of a March 4 deadline.

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WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said on Feb 24 that tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports are "on time and on schedule", despite efforts by the countries to beef up border security and halt the flow of fentanyl into the US ahead of a March 4 deadline.

"The tariffs are going forward on time, on schedule," Mr Trump said at a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. He had been asked whether Canada and Mexico had done enough to avoid the punishing 25 per cent US duties.

Many had hoped the top two US trading partners could persuade Mr Trump's administration to further delay tariffs that would apply to over US$918 billion (S$1.2 trillion) worth of US imports from the two countries, from autos to energy. This could wreak havoc on the integrated North American economy, with the automotive sector hit particularly hard.

Mr Trump did not specifically mention the March 4 deadline. He later referred to his desire for "reciprocal" tariffs to match the duty rates and offset the trade barriers of all countries, including France.

Mr Trump and Mr Macron did not publicly discuss another sticking point - digital services taxes imposed by France, Canada and other countries aimed at dominant US tech giants including Google, Facebook and Amazon.