President Trump has just announced the by executive order he will impose tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico. The tariffs will amount to 25% tariff on goods from Mexico, 25% tariff on goods from Canada with the exception of Canadian energy products which will receive a 10% tariff, and a 10% tariff on goods from China. The justifications Trump offers for the tariffs have validity. China has been responsible for supplying the chemicals from which the fentanyl that Mexican drug cartels produce and send across our borders.1 The Chinese show little interest stopping this trade because it is an important source for money laundering dollars.2 The Mexican government with its connection to the Mexican cartels has done little to stop the flow of illegal drugs across our borders.3 Canada has increased its fentanyl production and has done little to stop its worldwide distribution. We here at I Vote My Vote applaud and support President Trump’s efforts to shut down fentanyl distribution here in the US. According to an article ironically entitled “U.S. drug overdose deaths down 21.7% from 2023 to 2024”, there have been 137,812 deaths from fentanyl in the US, over the period from September 2022 to August 2024.4 This means that fentanyl drug overdose is one of the top ten killers.5 Undoubtedly it is important to shut down these fentanyl pipelines. The tariffs also seek to correct the present enormous trade deficits with these countries. The trade imbalance with China was 295.4 Billion in 2024, with Mexico it was 171.8 Billion and with Canada is was 63.3 billion.6
However, we here at I Vote My Vote urge caution with the institution of tariffs. Already Canada, Mexico and China have fired back with tariffs on US goods and services.7 We must remember that in 1930, the US Congress passed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act which initiated the global trade war that many believe was an influential precursor to the Great Depression.8
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Imposes Tariffs on Imports from Canada, Mexico and China. (2025). The WhiteHouse.gov. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/
Felbab-Brown, V. and Dews, F. (2024). The fentanyl pipeline and China’s role in the US opioid crisis. The Brookings Institute. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-fentanyl-pipeline-and-chinas-role-in-the-us-opioid-crisis/
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Imposes Tariffs on Imports from Canada, Mexico and China. (2025). The WhiteHouse.gov. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/
Gresser, E. (2025). U.S. drug overdose deaths down 21.7% from 2023 to 2024. ProgressivePolicy.org. Retrieved from https://www.progressivepolicy.org/u-s-drug-overdose-deaths-down-21-7-from-2023-to-2024/
Drug Overdose Deaths: Facts and Figures. (2024). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates#Fig2
Iacurci, G. (2025). Canada, Mexico tariffs create ‘ripple effects’ on consumer prices, economist says. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/canada-mexico-tariffs-create-ripple-effects-on-consumer-prices.html
China Trade Summary. (2025). The Office of the United States Trade Representative. Retrieved from https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/china-mongolia-taiwan/peoples-republic-china
