Trump's tariff threats create division between Canada and Mexico over security at borders

Mexico City — 

Threats by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to enforce tariffs person created a divided betwixt Canada and Mexico, aft Canadian officials said problems with the 2 countries’ borders shouldn’t beryllium compared.

On Monday, Mexico’s president rejected those comments, which were made pursuing a gathering betwixt Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“Mexico indispensable beryllium respected, particularly by its trading partners,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said, aft Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, told The Associated Press connected Sunday that “the connection that our borderline is truthful vastly antithetic than the Mexican borderline was truly understood.”

Sheinbaum said Canada had its ain problems with fentanyl depletion and “could lone privation they had the taste riches Mexico has.”

Trump has threatened to enforce 25% tariffs connected goods from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the travel of migrants and drugs.

Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs astatine the 2 countries' borderline are vastly different.

U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl astatine the Canadian borderline during the past fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds astatine the Mexican border. Mexico's efforts to prehend fentanyl earlier it reaches the U.S. person been lackluster.

Most of the fentanyl reaching the U.S. — wherever it causes astir 70,000 overdose deaths annually — is made by Mexican cause cartels utilizing precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia.

On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests astatine the Mexican borderline successful October alone, portion determination were lone 23,721 arrests astatine the Canadian borderline betwixt October 2023 and September 2024. During the aforesaid period, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 1.53 cardinal encounters with migrants astatine the southwest borderline with Mexico.

Mexico feels particularly wounded by the Canadian comments, due to the fact that Mexican officials assertion their authorities went to bat for Canada successful the past. They assertion that Trump, during his archetypal term, initially wanted to permission Canada retired of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada escaped commercialized statement successful 2018, and Mexico demanded it beryllium included. It is unclear if that was really the case.

Trudeau besides got up of Sheinbaum by gathering with the U.S. president-elect first. Both leaders are scrambling to get immoderate assurances earlier Trump takes office.

Hillman said Canada is acceptable to marque caller investments successful borderline information and determination are plans for much helicopters, drones and instrumentality enforcement officers. She besides noted an statement betwixt Canada and the U.S. that allows for migrants caught crossing illegally to beryllium sent backmost to Canada. She said Mexico and the U.S. bash not person a akin agreement.

On Monday, Sheinbaum revealed much astir her ain speech past week with Trump, saying helium “had agreed” that Mexico wanted to absorption connected quality sharing successful anti-drug efforts, noting “he said that successful his sentiment that was good.”

But she said Mexico would cull immoderate nonstop U.S. involution successful Mexico and proceed to enforce the choky restrictions connected U.S. instrumentality enforcement agencies successful Mexico imposed by her predecessor.

“That is going to maintained,” she said.