US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged Canada to match US tariffs on Chinese goods, after Mexico proposed matching them. This would avoid the 25% tariffs the US plans to impose on Canada and Mexico over fentanyl trafficking.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent - Photo: REUTERS
"Protecting North America from a Wave of Imports from China"
According to Reuters, in an interview with Bloomberg Television , US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Mexico has proposed imposing tariffs on China equivalent to the level Washington imposed on Beijing.
However, he did not specify the tax rate. Previously on February 4, Mr. Trump imposed a 10% tax on all goods imported from China, but recently on February 27, he announced that he would double this tax rate to 20%. The tax rate will take effect from March 4.
“I think it would be a good gesture if Canadians did the same. That way we can protect North America from the wave of imports from China, the most unbalanced economy in modern history,” he said.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said the unilateral tariffs imposed by Mr. Trump would seriously violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and harm the interests of both countries.
"Pressure, coercion and threats are not the right way to deal with China. Instead, mutual respect is the basic prerequisite," Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu told Reuters.
The March 4 deadline for the US to impose tariffs on Chinese goods coincides with the annual session of China's National People's Congress , where Beijing will outline its key economic priorities for 2025.
Although Mr. Trump has backed away from his previously announced plan to impose 60% tariffs on China, the latest move shows that his administration is getting tougher on Beijing.
The Mexican and Canadian governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Mr. Bessent's remarks.
Canada, Mexico crack down on drug flows
Canadian and Mexican officials have been lobbying hard in Washington to demonstrate to the Trump administration their efforts to strengthen border controls to stem the flow of dangerous fentanyl into the United States.
Mexico has extradited 29 drug suspects to the United States, including drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero.
Mexico's Deputy Economy Minister Vidal Llerenas said on February 27 that the country could adopt other trade measures beyond the recent tariffs it has imposed on imports to reduce the flow of cheap goods from China.
Earlier this month, the US suspended its “de minimis” duty-free policy for packages valued under $800, which had allowed fentanyl and its precursors to enter the US unchecked at airports and border crossings.
However, as the backlog of goods grew, US Customs and Border Protection suspended the suspension until more effective controls could be put in place.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/my-giuc-canada-noi-got-mexico-ngan-hang-trung-quoc-20250301111252915.htm
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