The Secretary of Commerce nominated by President Donald Trump, Howard Lutnick, emphasized during his Senate hearing the importance of Mexico and Canada strengthening their measures against fentanyl trafficking to avoid potential tariffs from the United States. Lutnick pointed out that these actions will be fundamental in determining whether the tariffs announced by Trump for February 1 will be implemented. In this regard, he made it clear that the priority of the U.S. government is to protect its borders against this lethal drug.
"It's a domestic policy action: close your borders and stop the fentanyl that is coming into our country and killing people. It's a tariff to get action in Mexico and Canada," Lutnick expressed before U.S. lawmakers. He also conveyed a more optimistic message to his neighbors, mentioning that if they continue to act swiftly, it is possible that the tariffs will not be implemented.
In this context, the White House spokesperson reported that for the moment there have been no changes to the schedule, indicating that the threat of imposing tariffs remains in effect. However, Lutnick raised the possibility that Mexico and Canada could evade these tariffs in February through concrete actions against fentanyl trafficking.
In his speech, Lutnick highlighted that he and President Trump have discussed the possibility of establishing tariffs tailored to each country, stating that this approach would be fairer. Additionally, he expressed his preference for "broad-based" tariffs rather than those targeting specific products, thus avoiding a retaliatory approach. The Secretary of Commerce also dismissed concerns about potential inflation in the United States as a consequence of the tariffs, although he acknowledged that certain products could experience pressures.
For her part, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, expressed during a morning conference her confidence that dialogue between both governments would prevent the realization of tariffs. Sheinbaum detailed that efforts are ongoing to keep communication lines open and emphasized the importance of understanding between the parties to resolve this trade conflict.
