President-elect Donald Trump said he plans to use executive orders when he takes office in January to institute tariffs of 25 percent on all products imported from Canada and Mexico, and 10 percent on those from China. The tariffs on the United States’ three largest trading partners would be retaliation for the flow of fentanyl and migrants across U.S. borders, he said.
More than $1.3 trillion worth of goods came from the three countries in 2023, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, including gas, cars and smartphones.
The proposed tariffs could have a seismic effect on all four countries. They could raise the price of everyday items for U.S. consumers, if companies add the additional cost to sale prices. They could change the playing field for local producers, and other nations that trade with the United States, if their products are not hit with tariffs. They could also result in retaliatory tariffs against U.S. businesses, John Veroneau, who was a trade negotiator under President George W. Bush, told The Post.
The details of Trump’s plan are yet to be released, however, such as whether raw materials such as crude oil as well as manufactured goods such as cars would be included as tariff targets.
Here’s a guide to which goods the United States imports from Mexico, Canada and China.
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Mexico
The United States conducts more trade with Mexico than any other country. It imported $475 billion in goods from Mexico last year and exported almost $323 billion.
About 80 percent of Mexican exports go to the United States, and the vast majority of those last year were manufactured goods, according to bank BBVA. The United States imported more than $400 billion worth of manufactured goods, compared with about $20 billion of products from the Mexican agriculture, forestry and livestock sectors; and about the same from the oil, gas and mining sectors, according to the bank. Goods included cars and car parts, computers and other electrical equipment, beverages, medical instruments and household appliances.
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Canada
Canada is the United States’ second-ranked trading partner: The United States imported more than $418 billion in goods from Canada in 2023, and exported $354 billion.
The top goods that the United States imports from Canada are crude oil and related products such as petroleum gas; vehicles such as cars and car parts; and machinery such as turbines, engines and construction equipment parts, according to global research firm Trading Economics.
The United States also imports billions in plastics, pharmaceuticals, metals such as aluminum, iron and gold, wood and paper, and agricultural products from Canada.
A significant change in U.S. trade policy could have serious ramifications for Canada: More than three-quarters of Canadian export goods go to the United States, and almost half Canada’s import goods in turn come from its southern neighbor.
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China
China is the United States’ third-largest trading partner. The United States imported almost $427 billion in goods last year and exported almost $148 billion.
The top goods the United States imported from China last year were electronics, including phones; machinery such as computers; toys, games, and sporting equipment; furniture; and plastics, according to Trading Economics. It also imports billions in a wide variety of items such as medical equipment, clothes and shoes, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
The United States buys about 15 percent of China’s exports and is its largest destination market, according to Trading Economics.
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