US president-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to enact a 25 percent tariff hike on all goods from Canada, Mexico, and China on his Truth Social account on Monday, as a measure to combat illegal entrance into the US as well as “crime and drugs”. Trump announced a further 10 percent tariff on goods coming from China as retaliation for their failure to regulate drugs, particularly fentanyl, from being trafficked into the United States.

Trump alleged that Canada and Mexico have turned a blind eye to ‘illegal aliens” pouring through their “open borders” and that the tariffs will remain in place until they use their power to prevent the alleged mass illegal immigration to the United States.

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to these claims, stating that Canada “places the highest priority on border security and the integrity of our shared border.” They also affirmed the importance of the Canada-US relationship.

Many business leaders and academic experts have expressed concerns over the proposed tariffs, claiming they would negatively impact American and Canadian workers and consumers alike. John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart US, also told CBC News in an exclusive interview that the tariffs would likely increase its prices if they were to take effect.

In addition to skepticism over the efficacy of Trump’s tariff agenda, his immigration policies have been criticized by many. A report published recently alleged that Trump’s deportation of immigrants during his first presidency increased crime rates instead of promoting safety. Several immigration rights groups have called for support for migrants following Trump’s victory and denounced his immigration policies.