Trump has been threatening with tariffs for weeks, saying that they would be imposed on February 1 and maintain until countries made more to stop the flow of both migrants and fentanyl through the US border.
Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office while signing decrees, Trump said he understood that tariffs could translate into an increase in costs for consumers and acknowledged that their measures could cause short -term disorders.
Most economists estimate that such radical import taxes, and probable reprisals would disturb economic activity throughout the world.
When asked about whether there was any opportunity at this time so that the three main commercial partners of the United States got a postponement, Trump said: “No. No. Right now, no.”
He also ruled out the idea that his threats of taxes have been a negotiation tool. “No, it is not (…) we have great (commercial) deficits as you know, with all three.”
“It is something we are doing, and we will possibly increase it very substantially, or not, we will see what it is,” Trump said. “But it is a lot of money that comes to the United States.”
And more tariffs are coming, said the Republican President, stating that taxes were being considered the importation of European products, as well as steel, aluminum and copper, and medicines and semiconductors. “We are going to put tariffs on steel and aluminum, and ultimately copper. Copper will take a little longer,” he said.
Earlier on Friday, Reuters cited familiar sources with deliberations on tariffs, according to which Trump would announce measures on Saturday but delay the collection of rights until March 1 and offer a limited process for certain imports to be exempt.
A White House spokeswoman Leavitt described the “false” report, adding that the measures would be published on Saturday and would immediately go into force.
When Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese products in 2018 and 2019, there was usually a delay of two to three weeks for the Customs and Border Protection Office to begin to collect tariffs, due to the required notices to importers.
Another official said Trump was reviewing tariff plans on Friday, which could allow some exemptions. However, they would be “few.”
Trump’s tariffs and Canada and Mexico’s retaliation economies
The crude is the main American import of Canada and is among the five main of Mexico, according to data from the United States Census Office.
Trump’s commercial advisor, Peter Navarro, said Friday that tariff income will help pay the 2017 Trump tax cuts, which add up to 4 billion dollars and expire this year.
