President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, Feb. 27, that tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will go into effect as planned on March 4. The tariffs were delayed due to concerns about the wide-reaching impacts of such measures. In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump said Mexico and Canada are still neglecting to counter drug trafficking across the northern and southern U.S. borders.
The recommitment to the 25% tariffs on imports came after more than a month’s delay. Trump officially announced tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports on Feb. 1.
Trump also announced on Thursday that he is raising the existing tariff on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%. In his Truth Social post, he blamed the country’s failure to respond to Chinese fentanyl entering the United States for the price increase. Experts expect the tariffs on China could raise prices on vitamins, computers and office machinery.
DePaul political science professor Wayne Steger is concerned about the combination of tariffs with Trump’s goal for mass deportations. Steger said that the effect on inflation would “be greater than the inflationary bump after the Covid-19 pandemic surge.”
“(Any) price increase reduces demand for those goods, potentially leading to a decrease in economic activity,” Steger said.
Most imports from Mexico and Canada are either passenger cars or motor vehicle parts, according to Statista. In 2023, the United States imported $203.6 billion in passenger vehicles alone.
Max Soroka, a DePaul writing and rhetoric student, said while they understand the desire to decrease reliance on foreign goods, they don’t think the U.S. is able to rely solely on its own production.
“Part of the reason our goods are so cheap is because the United States has significant restrictions meant to prevent exploitation (of workers),” Soroka said. “This is not the case for a lot of countries (that) source our goods.”
Soroka worries that the switch towards American-made products could lead to labor exploitation in the U.S.
Some of the goods directly impacted by the tariffs are fresh produce, processed and packaged foods, spices, alcohol, dairy and meat products, wood, charcoal and aluminum. Grocery prices increased by 0.5% in January and executives expect certain prices for electronics to rise between 3% and 15% by March as a result of the tariffs.
Emma Kate Bretzlaff, a DePaul senior studying political science, thinks the tariffs will damage the U.S.’s international reputation and harm its alliances.
“The impact of these tariffs will not affect people like President Trump, but rather will affect the common American,” Bretzlaff said.
She believes that despite Republican control of the White House and Congress, Trump supporters will blame Democrats for rising prices.
Trump had cited post-election economic gains on the stock market as evidence of a reviving economy. But following the announcement of the tariffs on Thursday, the S&P 500 fell 1.6%, the lowest of Trump’s second administration so far.
Bretzlaff doesn’t think the tariffs and uncertain market will help lower prices anytime soon.
“The people who voted for Trump because they were struggling to afford groceries will find it much harder to make ends meet,” Bretzlaff said.
Related Stories:
- RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard officially confirmed, DePaul political science and security experts alarmed
- Trump reshapes policy with flurry of executive orders
- ‘It’s not just about the money’: Trump eyes shuttering the Department of Education
Stay informed with The DePaulia’s top stories,
delivered to your inbox every Monday.