(Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced on Sunday that tariffs on Canada and Mexico are set to be enforced on Tuesday. However, President Donald Trump will ultimately decide whether to maintain the proposed 25% rate. “It’s a dynamic situation,” Lutnick conveyed during an appearance on the Fox News show “Sunday Morning Futures.” “There will indeed be tariffs on Mexico and Canada come Tuesday. The exact specifics will be left for the president and his team to negotiate.” Lutnick’s remarks marked the first insight from Trump’s administration suggesting that it may not impose the full 25% tariffs on all goods from Mexico and non-energy imports from Canada. He acknowledged that both countries have made efforts in securing their borders with the U.S., even though the dangerous drug fentanyl is still finding its way into the nation. Last week, Trump caused some confusion by alluding to a possible April 2 deadline regarding tariffs on Canada and Mexico. However, he later confirmed the Tuesday deadline and indicated that an additional 10% tariff would be imposed on Chinese goods on the same day, essentially doubling the 10% duties introduced on February 4. Lutnick emphasized that unless China ceases fentanyl trafficking into the U.S., tariffs on Chinese imports are expected to escalate on Tuesday as well. (Reporting by David Morgan, David Lawder, and Leah Douglas; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Alistair Bell)
