President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an order to impose stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, drawing retaliation and an undeniable sense of betrayal from the country’s North American neighbours as a trade war erupted among the long-time allies.
Trump posted on social media that the tariffs were necessary “to protect Americans,” pressing the nations to do more to curb the manufacture and export of illicit fentanyl and for Canada and Mexico to reduce illegal immigration into the US. The tariffs could cause inflation to significantly worsen, threatening the trust that many voters placed in Trump to lower the prices of groceries, gasoline, housing, autos and other goods.
