WASHINGTON — The Trump administration plans to impose tariffs of 25% on nearly all goods imported from Canada and Mexico. The tariffs are scheduled to go into effect on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

The Canadian and Mexican governments said they plan to retaliate, with Canada initially imposing tariffs on $30 billion of American goods that will be phased in starting on Tuesday, followed by $125 billion worth of other American products in 21 days.

American products facing tariffs during the first phase will include meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, dairy ingredients, honey, tomatoes, legumes, nuts, fruit, coffee, tea, spices, grain-based commodities like wheat, rye, barley, oats, canola and rice, margarine, processed meats, sugar, molasses, chocolate, malt extract and sauces.

The Mexican government had yet to detail a specific list of US products subject to tariffs at press time, but the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday afternoon that the plan includes a focus on US goods from “Republican strongholds.”

On Monday, multiple reports stated that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and President Donald Trump agreed to delay tariffs for one month. 

The United States also imposed an additional 10% tariff on imports from China. The Chinese government said it would take the case to the World Trade Organization.

Using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), President Trump declared a national emergency related to the flow of illicit opioids and other drugs into the United States, most notably fentanyl. The Act gives the president broad powers to act without input from Congress.

The US Meat and Export Federation (USMEF) provided its latest update to MEAT+POULTRY on Feb. 3 regarding the trade dispute.

“USMEF strongly supported ratification of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and we would like to see all parties honor the terms of that agreement,” the association said. “We are hopeful that talks between President Trump, President Sheinbaum and Prime Minister Trudeau and their advisers will lead to resumption of tariff-free red meat trade.”

The Meat Institute released information on the tariffs and what this could mean for the beef and pork industries in the Unted States in the next few weeks.

“The Meat Institute has heard from several members about concerns regarding these tariffs on live cattle and hog imports, in particular,” the association said. “Staff at the Meat Institute are scheduling meetings with key Congressional staff and other government officials to share information about the impact of tariffs, and retaliation, on live animals and other meat and poultry products.”

The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) released a statement explaining that cross-border trade in the North American meat industry exceeds $16 billion annually.

“We urge government officials to prioritize dialogue and seek a balanced solution that preserves the benefits of our deeply integrated supply chains,” CMC said. “At stake are thousands of jobs, billions in economic activity, and the competitiveness of the North American meat sector on the global stage.”

A fact sheet published by the White House said the Trump administration was taking action to hold Canada, Mexico and China accountable for their promises of “halting illegal immigration” and “stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs” from flowing into the country. The fact sheet did not detail what each country can do to meet the expectations of the Trump administration and end the imposition of the tariffs.

“The president is right to focus on major problems like our broken border and the scourge of fentanyl, but the imposition of tariffs under IEEPA is unprecedented, won’t solve these problems, and will only raise prices for American families and upend supply chains,” said John Murphy, senior vice president and head of international for the US Chamber of Commerce. “The chamber will consult with our members, including main street businesses across the country impacted by this move, to determine next steps to prevent economic harm to Americans. We will continue to work with Congress and the administration on solutions to address the fentanyl and border crisis.”