Trump Imposes 30% Tariff on Mexico Over Fentanyl Trafficking

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a 30 per cent tariff on all imports from Mexico beginning August 1, citing the country’s failure to curb the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

In a formal tariff letter addressed to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Trump acknowledged the two nations share a “strong relationship” and praised Mexico’s cooperation on border security. However, he insisted that “more must be done” to dismantle drug cartels operating within Mexican territory.

“Mexico has not done enough. The cartels—made up of the most despicable people who ever walked the Earth—are trying to turn all of North America into a narco-trafficking playground. Obviously, I cannot let that happen,” Trump wrote.

He described the 30 per cent tariff as separate from existing sectoral tariffs and warned that goods transshipped through third countries to avoid the new duties would still be subject to the higher rate.

Trump clarified that the tariff would not apply to goods manufactured in the United States by Mexican companies, adding that his administration would expedite approval processes for such investments. “We will do everything possible to get approvals quickly, professionally, and routinely—in other words, in a matter of weeks,” he stated.

In a stern message to Mexico, Trump warned that any retaliatory tariffs would trigger a reciprocal increase on top of the existing 30 per cent rate.

This latest move follows the U.S. administration’s recent decision to impose tariffs of up to 30 per cent on other trade partners, including Canada and the European Union, amid Trump’s broader campaign to reshape U.S. trade policy and curb the flow of illicit drugs into the country.