Trump to US Farmers: ‘Tariffs Will Go on External Product on April 2nd’

In a message posted “to the Great Farmers of the United States”, President Donald Trump announced Monday on Truth Social that tariffs will go on “external” agricultural products beginning early next month:

“To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold inside of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!”

The announcement comes as 25 percent tariffs against both Mexico and Canada are set to take effect at midnight on March 4. Trump had previously hit the pause button on imposing tariffs on both countries after he says Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to last-minute concessions to prevent the spread of fentanyl from coming into the U.S.

In addition, Trump has threatened China with an additional 10 percent tariff, which would bring the total to 20 percent on Chinese imports. He accused also China of not doing enough to prevent fentanyl flow into the U.S. Meanwhile, China responded by calling the move blackmail. As a result, Reuters says China is looking directly at U.S. agricultural exports as it prepares retaliatory tariffs, a move which raises the stakes in an escalating trade war between the two countries. The countermeasures are expected to include tariffs and a series of non-tariff measures, and U.S. agricultural and food products are expected to be on China’s list when made public.