OTTAWA—Mexico’s president persuaded U.S. President Donald Trump to delay tariffs on his southern border Monday shortly after Trump piled on more reasons for his looming tariff war with Canada.
Trump posted on social media that after he had a “very friendly conversation” with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and that she’d agreed to “immediately supply 10,000” Mexican soldiers on the border with the U.S. dedicated to “stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants” into the U.S.
“We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period during which we will have negotiations,” said Trump. “I look forward to participating in those negotiations, with President Sheinbaum, as we attempt to achieve a ‘deal’ between our two countries,” he added.
Sheinbaum told reporters Monday morning the two leaders had a “very respectful” conversation.
In sharp contrast, after speaking to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Monday morning, Trump complained on social media that American banks can’t “open” or do business in Canada, and again cited what he calls an influx of undocumented migrants and illegal drugs across Canada’s and Mexico’s borders as justification for a U.S.-led tariff war.
Trump and Trudeau are to speak again mid-afternoon Monday, after Trudeau told Canadians he’d been unable to reach Trump since the president’s Jan. 20 inauguration and the prime minister rolled out Canada’s retaliation plan on the weekend.
But Trudeau’s office said little else as Canadian officials continue a scramble to try to head off the midnight deadline for tariffs and counter-tariffs to take effect, saying only that the focus is still on talks with the U.S.
The pending tariffs triggered turmoil in global markets and prompted Ontario to cancel its contract with Elon Musk‘s Starlink satellite company and to ban American companies from provincial contracts.
“Ontario won’t do business with people hell-bent on destroying our economy,” said PC Leader Doug Ford in a written statement Monday.
Cancelling the Starlink contract directly targets Starlink owner Musk, a key adviser of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Ontario government signed a $100-million deal in November with Musk’s SpaceX to deliver high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario.
Speaking to reporters while campaigning in Etobicoke, Ford said “President Trump is the only person to be blamed.
“Maybe Elon Musk can call his buddy … this is one of the ramifications.”
In addition, until U.S. tariffs are removed Ford says Ontario will immediately ban American companies from provincial contracts, noting that each year the provincial government and its agencies “spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario.”
“U.S.-based businesses will now lose out on tens of billions of dollars in new revenues,” Ford said.
“Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it,” Ford said, ahead of a call expected between Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Monday.
Trudeau has responded to Trump’s 25-percent tariffs on Canadian products and 10-percent surcharge on oil with a plan to impose 25-percent tariffs on a range of American products worth up to $30 billion, with another layer of counter-duties $125 billion worth of American imports to come in three weeks.
The tariffs and counter-tariffs take effect Tuesday, as provinces ramp up their own response to Trump.
Ontario, Manitoba, N.S. and B.C. have banned American liquor from store shelves, as political leaders pushed a “Buy Canadian” response to Trump’s weekend announcement he would impose
The impact of Trump’s tariffs on American consumers and households was dominating U.S. news headlines Monday and sent a chill through global markets. The Canadian dollar slumped, and late Sunday, Trump told reporters that there may be “some pain” for Americans.
It is also playing out in the provincial election in Ontario, in the federal Liberal leadership campaign — with all candidates to replace Trudeau finally lining up behind the government’s handling of the crisis — and in the federal political landscape.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Monday released what he called a plan to boost internal trade in Canada that he’d implement on taking office. He would convene a meeting of premiers and provide financial incentives to get them to agree to drop barriers to trade, and to harmonize regulations on trucking and professional credential approvals. The money, he said, would come “out of boosted government revenues from free trade.”
Trudeau plans to again consult his outside advisory council on Canada-U.S. relations Monday.
In Ontario, provincial Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said she was “glad” Ford took her advice on Starlink.
“I’ve been calling to rip up the sweetheart deal Doug Ford gave Elon Musk on Starlink since (Trump’s) inauguration,” Crombie said Monday.
“Glad it’s finally happening. But let’s be clear: this contract never should have been signed in the first place. Just another backtrack by Doug on his backward priorities,” she said on the campaign trail for the Feb. 27 Ontario election.
Campaigning in Oshawa on Monday, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles noted Ford is in “caretaker” mode because of the election.
“I would also cancel the Starlink deal. Whether he has the ability to do that right now in the middle of an election where he’s not really the premier is a different story,” she said.
