The U.S. president has appointed Howard Lutnick as his pick to lead the tariff and trade agenda as Secretary of Commerce, pending confirmation. Trump has reiterated his promise to implement a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico starting February 1, maintaining this date according to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
In his appearance before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Lutnick stated that the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative will immediately assess the need to modify tariffs under the USMCA. These studies are expected to be conducted by the end of March or April.
Lutnick distinguished between different tariff approaches, noting that the 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada starting in February are linked to immigration issues and fentanyl trafficking at their borders with the United States. The nominee for Secretary of Commerce assured that the initial tariffs would not be applied if the countries take action against drug trafficking, while the decision to impose any additional tariffs will be made in the coming months.
Lutnick mentioned a preference for general tariffs rather than targeting specific products as part of a country-by-country approach. Trump has also proposed tariffs on several industries, such as chips, drugs, steel, aluminum, and copper, and has considered the possibility of imposing general levies on all imports to balance foreign trade.
