President Donald Trump’s threats to impose punishing tariffs on Canada and Mexico may be part of a strategy to gain leverage ahead of new negotiations on a regional trade agreement, experts said.
Hours after his inauguration on Monday, Trump told reporters he may implement a 25 percent levy on all Canadian and Mexican imports starting February 1. He had previously promised to sign documents imposing the duties first day of his new term.
Trade experts note that while Trump may make good on his threat, the posturing could be a way for Washington to gain an upper hand ahead of a 2026 deadline to review the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
“What’s going to happen here is, it’s just going to create a lot of pressure on the parties to come back to the negotiating table,” said Kathleen Claussen, a law professor at Georgetown University.
Trump inked USMCA in 2020, during …