Trump Defends Customs, accuses Canada of being ‘very violent’ to the United States

President Donald Trump defended his recent tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China while talking to journalists at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night – and suggested that the European Union likes a similar fate.

The tariffs that were approved in an executive order Saturday will take effect Tuesday. As per International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), A 25% extra duty will be charged on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% duty on imports from China.

In the executive order, Trump said the tariffs stem from an “extraordinary threat that illegal aliens and drugs make up, including deadly fentanyl, (at) constitutes a national emergency.”

The tariffs have invited international criticism from both leaders and citizens of Canada and Mexico. During his exchange with journalists on Sunday night, Trump accused Canada of being “violent” to the United States in terms of trade.

Trump imposes duties for imports from Canada, Mexico and China: ‘National Emergency’

President Donald Trump pumps the fist when he arrives at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 2nd, 2025. (Tierney Cross/AFP via Getty Images)

“Canada has been very violent for the United States for many years. They do not allow our banks,” Trump claimed. “And you know that Canada doesn’t allow knocks to go in if you think about it. It’s pretty amazing. If we have an American bank they don’t allow them to go in.”

“Canada has been very hard for oil on energy. They do not allow our agricultural products essentially. They do not allow a lot of things in. And we allow everything to come in as a one -way street.”

Trump also claimed the United States is subsidizing Canada “using about $ 200 billion a year.”

“And what? What do we get out of it? We don’t get anything out of it,” he added. “I love Canada’s population. I disagree with Canada’s leadership and something will happen there.”

The Republican leader also said he will “definitely” impose customs on the European Union, with which he said the United States has a $ 300 billion trade deficit.

“They don’t take our cars, they don’t take our agricultural products, they take almost nothing,” Trump said. “And we take everything from them. Millions of cars, huge amounts of food and agricultural products. So the UK is the way out of the line and we get to see Britain, but the European Union is really out of line.”

In a statement on Saturday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country “categorically rejects (s) the white house’s defamation against the Mexican government of having alliances with criminal organizations as well as any intention of intervention on our territory.”

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President Donald Trump said Canada has not been fair to the United States. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“Mexico does not only want Fentanyl to reach the United States, but everywhere,” the statement reads. “Therefore, if the United States wants to fight criminal groups that traffic medicine and generate violence, we must work together in an integrated way, but always under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, cooperation and above all respect for sovereignty, which does not is marketable.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tossed the United States by encouraging Canadians to “buy Canada” in response to the tariffs.

“Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada,” wrote Trudeau on X. “Check the labels. Let’s do our part. No matter where we can, choose Canada.”

During Sunday’s exchange with journalists, Trump also discussed the prospect of cutting off help to South Africa after its president signed a controversial seizure measure.

“Tempted things happen in South Africa,” Trump said. “Management is doing some awful things, horrible things. So it’s under investigation right now.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump at Mar-A-Lago before Trump joined another time. Now the two leaders are in odds over trade. (Justin Trudeau x)

His remarks came after he accused South Africa of “treating certain classes of people very badly” in a true social post on Sunday.

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“It’s a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want as much as to mention,” Trump’s statement read. “A massive violation of human rights, as a minimum, happens to everyone to see. The United States will not stand for what we will act. I will also cut off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation is completed! “