President Donald Trump intends to move forward with his plans to place separate 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico but told reporters Thursday he might include an exemption for oil.
Even before entering office, the president had signaled he would use tariffs as leverage in debates with America’s northern and southern neighbors about border security.
FULL LIST OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS, ACTIONS, AND PROCLAMATIONS TRUMP HAS MADE AS PRESIDENT
Following his inauguration, Trump imposed a Feb. 1 deadline for both countries to begin complying with his border and immigration policies or risk the imposition of blanket 25% tariffs on all imports.
“I’ll be putting the tariff of 25 percent on Canada and separately, 25% on Mexico,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We really have to do that.”
Trump added that imported oil will have “nothing to do…
