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US President Donald Trump has declared that his administration will impose tariffs on overseas agricultural goods within weeks, signaling a significant shift in the country’s trade policy. The announcement comes as the White House deliberates on whether to follow through on its threat to levy steep duties on Canada and Mexico starting Tuesday.
Tarrifs To Take Effect From 2 April
Trump asserted that the new tariffs on farm products will take effect from 2 April 2025. However, previous deadlines for similar measures – including proposed tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods in January and February – were postponed following pressure from economists and businesses urging caution.
Addressing American farmers directly, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to convey the news. “To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States,” he wrote on Monday. “Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!”
The president’s remarks come as the administration faces mounting pressure to balance protecting domestic industries with mitigating the risk of escalating trade tensions.
Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
Trump reiterated that the US will impose a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods from Tuesday, alongside an additional 10% tariff on Chinese products. This new levy follows a 10% tariff imposed on China last month.
“These duties will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled,” Trump declared last week, linking the decision to the ongoing fentanyl crisis. He emphasized that the tariffs would remain in place until the crisis “stops, or is seriously limited.”
In a related move, the US Commerce Department announced on Monday preliminary anti-dumping duties of 20% on Canadian softwood lumber imports. This new rate adds to the 14.4% average anti-dumping and countervailing duties already being paid by Canadian producers.
These duties, however, will not become final until August 2025, when the Commerce Department is expected to issue its final determinations.
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