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Donald Trump said he would press ahead with imposing tariffs of 25 per on all imports from Canada and Mexico from Tuesday, adding that there was “no room” for last-minute negotiation.
The US president’s comments came a day after his commerce secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that the extent and timing of the planned tariffs were still to be finalised, describing the situation as “fluid”.
But in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon, Trump said: “The tariffs, you know, they’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow.”
Last month, Trump issued an executive order applying additional tariffs of 25 per cent to all imports from Canada and Mexico, with the exception of Canadian oil and energy products, which will face a 10 per cent levy.
Canada is by far the biggest foreign oil supplier to the US, accounting for about 60 per cent of its crude imports.
Days later, he postponed the implementation of the tariffs to March 4, following frantic last-minute diplomacy between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
This is a developing story
