Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla
Topics: Canada, Mexico, Justin Trudeau, News, Donald Trump, Business, Politics, World News
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Canada, Mexico, Justin Trudeau, News, Donald Trump, Business, Politics, World News
Donald Trump is not trying to make friends with America's neighboring countries.
On February 1, the Trump administration brought in 25 percent import taxes on Canada and Mexico, as well as 10 percent on goods from China.
A 10 percent tariff will also apply to energy imported from Canada.
The hiked tariffs have been dubbed as 'catastrophic' for Mexico in particular.
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Trump claims to have brought in the unpopular change in a bid to make America 'very rich again'.
As to how the change with impact US citizens, people should expect the cost of groceries and gas to increase.
In particular, Editor of The Supermarket Guru, Phil Lempert, predicts that the price of avocados, berries, cooking oil, meat, meat products, beer, and tequila will be affected.
Trump himself admitted the policies could make life more difficult for Americans, writing on Truth Social: "WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!). BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID."
In response to the hiked tariffs, both Canada and Mexico have said that they're willing to do the same to US goods being imported.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's threatened that the country is 'ready with a response, a purposeful, forceful but reasonable, immediate response'.
Elsewhere, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said: "We have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, depending on what the government of the United States decides.
"It is very important for the people of Mexico to know that we will always defend the dignity of our people, that we will always defend respect for our sovereignty, and engage in dialogue as equals, as we have always stated, without subordination."
And now Trump has clapped back.
In a brutal response, the 47th president of the United States took aim at Trudeau.
He said, as reported by Sky News: "I love the people of Canada. I disagree with the leadership of Canada. And something's gonna happen there.
"If they want to play the game, I don't mind. We can play the game all they want."
But there is a (pretty drastic) way that Canada could avoid the drastically increased tariffs.
As a potential solution put forward by Trump, the 78-year-old said that the neighboring country should become the United States' 51st state.
Taking to TruthSocial yesterday (February 2), Trump penned: "We don’t need anything [Canada has].
"We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true!
"Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS!"
This isn't the first time Trump has suggested this, and Trudeau's always insisted it's 'not going to happen'.