White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the tariffs on Mexico and Canada, as well as the tariff on China, will proceed as scheduled on Saturday, February 1, despite a circulating report suggesting that President Trump might delay the implementation by a month.
“I saw that report and it is false,” Leavitt said in response. “I was just with the president in the Oval Office, and I can confirm that tomorrow, the February 1 deadline set by President Trump several weeks ago, stands.”
Details of the Tariffs
Leavitt went on to confirm the details of the tariffs, which were announced earlier by President Trump. “The president will be implementing tomorrow a 25% tariff on Mexico, a 25% tariff on Canada, and a 10% tariff on China,” she said.
When pressed on whether there would be exemptions for specific items, such as oil, Leavitt declined to provide details. President Trump had previously suggested that oil could potentially be excluded. “Those tariffs will be for public consumption in about 24 hours tomorrow,” Leavitt stated. “So you can read them then.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Responds
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also addressed the upcoming tariffs. Speaking on Friday, he responded to the Trump administration’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canada, starting February 1. “We don’t know precisely what that could look like, but I do know two things: first, if the president does choose to implement against Canada, we’re ready with a response,” Trudeau remarked. “A purposeful, forceful, but reasonable immediate response.”
Trudeau reiterated Canada’s position on the tariffs, stating, “If tariffs are implemented against Canada, we will respond. We won’t relent until tariffs are removed and, of course, everything is on the table.”
