Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump’s pick for Commerce secretary, told a Senate confirmation hearing Canada and Mexico can avoid an imminent tariff threat from the U.S. if they take action on illegal migration and fentanyl. Lutnick said Trump’s Saturday deadline to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico was meant to put pressure on the two countries to stop those flows into America.
He noted those tariffs were separate from a broad effort by the Commerce Department, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office and the Treasury Department to review trade relations and tariffs by April 1.
Lutnick repeatedly called for restoring “reciprocity” in trade with other countries, in line with Trump’s pledge to erect a universal 10% tariff on all imports. He prefers “across-the-board” tariffs rather than aiming them at particular products in a tit-for-tat exchange.
Of note, Lutnick said tariffs on China should be higher compared to those on other countries. “I think Chinese tariffs should be the highest. Our adversaries should be the highest,” he said.
Lutnick also said he wanted to improve U.S. access to Canada’s dairy market. He said, “Canada treats our dairy farmers horribly. That’s got to end.”
