Canadian Trade Tariffs Delayed Following Agreement to Tighten Border Security & Fight Fentanyl Trafficking

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

In the days following an agreement to stay tariffs on imported goods from Mexico. A similar agreement between Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and President Trump was reached. In both instances, the 25% tariffs are paused for 30 days in exchange for the countries increasing border security and like with Mexico, battling fentanyl and organized crime.

"I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl.

Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border. In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada- U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering.

I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million.

Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together."

@JustinTrudeau on X

Canada also agreed to list cartels as terrorists, something Mexico did not mention agreeing to in any fashion so far. At first it would seem to be much less of a trade than Mexico's commitment to battle drugs and increase their troop presence on the US-Mexico border.

However, record drug seizures including at fentanyl labs and large cocaine shipments have occurred in various parts of Canada. Most trafficking related to Canada and the US occurs with drugs being trafficked from Mexico, into the US and then onto Canada via trucks. A recent record 835 kilo cocaine bust occurred in Canada.

But only 43 pounds of fentanyl was seized throughout 2024 traveling into the US from the north, 0.2% of total fentanyl. 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder and nearly 100 million pills were seized across the southern border.

Cartels and other organized crime groups have begun to utilize Canada to ship precursor chemicals in from China and send on to local labs or to their Mexican Cartel partners.

Trudeau laid out 'Canada’s Border Plan', "We’re deploying thousands more frontline personnel to the border, launching a precursor chemical detection unit, and building a new drug profiling centre to combat the fentanyl trade. This drug trade is a global, deadly issue and Canada is tackling it head-on." he posted on X.

"The fentanyl crisis in the United States, they obviously have to do their part in the United States," Sheinbaum said this morning, adding that the US, Canada and Mexico are all in the fight against organized crime.

In 2021, Mexico, in an agreement with the Biden administration, sent 10,000 troops to its borders to reduce migration to the US border.

Sources AP News, @JustinTrudeau, CNN