WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump announced on Monday that he intends to implement a 25% tariff on all goods entering the United States from Canada and Mexico on his first day in office.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated, “As everyone knows, an unprecedented number of individuals are entering the U.S. through Mexico and Canada, leading to soaring levels of crime and drug issues.”

He plans to sign the required documents on January 20, marking one of his initial executive actions to implement the 25% tariff on imports from North America.

Trump emphasized, “This tariff will stay in place until the flow of drugs, especially fentanyl, and illegal immigration into our country ceases!” He added, “Both Mexico and Canada possess the authority and capability to address this ongoing issue. We insist they take immediate action, and in the meantime, they will face significant costs!”

In addition, he stated he would place a further 10% tariff on Chinese goods, augmenting existing tariffs on Chinese products entering the U.S.

“I’ve had numerous discussions with China about the enormous quantities of drugs, particularly fentanyl, being smuggled into the United States – yet nothing has changed,” he remarked. “Chinese officials told me they would impose severe penalties, including death sentences, for drug traffickers, but unfortunately, they never acted on it.”

Trump indicated that the additional tariff on Chinese products would remain until China halts its exports of illegal drugs to the U.S.