Americas

Americas

Treasury chief urges Canada, Mexico to match US tariffs on China as deadline looms

01 March 2025 09:01 (UTC +04:00)

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent encouraged Canada on Friday to follow Mexico in matching U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods as the two U.S. neighbors sought to avoid punishing 25% U.S. tariffs due on Tuesday over fentanyl trafficking, APA reports citing Reuters.

Canadian and Mexican officials have fanned out across Washington seeking to show President Donald Trump's administration that they were making progress in securing their U.S. borders to curb the flow of the dangerous opioid.

Bessent, speaking in a Bloomberg Television interview, said Mexico had proposed matching the U.S. tariffs aimed at China, but he did not specify which level. Trump on February 4 imposed a 10% duty on all Chinese imports, then said on Thursday he would double that, opens new tab to 20% from Tuesday.

"I think it would be a nice gesture if the Canadians did it also - so in a way, we could have fortress North America from the flood of Chinese imports that's coming out of the most unbalanced economy in the history of modern times," Bessent said.

China's embassy in Washington said Trump's unilateral tariff hikes would severely violate World Trade Organization rules and hurt both Chinese and U.S. interests.

"Pressuring, coercion and threat is not the right way to deal with China. Instead, mutual respect is the basic prerequisite," embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement to Reuters.

The Mexican and Canadian governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Bessent's remarks.