Canada, Mexico tariffs a ‘fluid situation,’ Commerce head says

President Donald Trump plans to go forward with import tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods on Tuesday, possibly starting a North American trade war.

The import duties are aimed at forcing more cooperation from Canada and Mexico on stopping illegal immigration and drug smuggling into the U.S., Trump said.

The Trump administration said tariffs will be imposed, despite a boost in border security and a diplomatic push by both Canadian and Mexican officials to finalize an agreement before the deadline.

“The president is thinking right now how he wants to play it with Canada and Mexico, and that is a fluid situation,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox news on Sunday. “There are going to be tariffs on Tuesday on Mexico and Canada. Exactly what they are, we’re going to leave that for the president and his team to negotiate.”

While Trump has threatened several nations with tariffs, so far China is the only country to be hit with increased duties. Trump went forward with a 10% tariff on imports from China on Feb. 1.