Home Business & Economy Tariffs & Trade US tariffs now postponed for about 30 days to March 2025

US tariffs now postponed for about 30 days to March 2025

Pause includes Canada's commitment to: appointing a Fentanyl Czar | 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

trudeau,, joly, leblanc, mcguinty
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed Canadians about US tariffs on Feb 1, 2025, accompanied by (from left): Public Safety Minister David McGuinty; Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly; and Finance Minister & Intergovernmental Minister Dominic LeBlanc. [livestream]
CANADA-USA NEWS & ANALYSIS

Monday February 3, 2025 | NATIONAL NEWS (posted from Victoria, BC, CANADA) [Posted at 1:55 pm | Updated 3:12 pm]

Political analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends


The US tariffs that were to be in effect starting 12:01 tomorrow morning, February 4, have now been postponed for 30 days (or to March 1, 2024, tbd).

The focus has, for now, shifted to Canada performing more intensively on border issues, specifically more about fentanyl and money laundering.

This comes after a major statement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday evening February 1, followed by two phone calls between Trudeau and US President Donald Trump this morning February 3. The second call was 45 minutes long, called “a wide ranging discussion”.

prime minister trudeau, canada-usa, fentanyl
Post in social media by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after two phone calls with US President Donald Trump on Feb 3, 2025. [X]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a post in social media at 1:36 pm today (after the second phone call):

  • “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.”
Royal Roads University - a boldly different undergrad is here

Still jerking us around:

This development is positive news in the sense of no tariffs happening tomorrow.

But it sows a further sense of uncertainty, after a lot of retaliatory tariffs and strategies planned and organized by the federal government and provinces across this country.

In this respect, Trump says jump and governments across Canada are still having to scurry and scramble in response.

us president, trump
US President Donald Trump in the oval office on Feb 3, 2025. [web]

Canada now has this 30-day focus on fentanyl and border to deal with, which spreads thin the energy for setting up the retaliatory tariffs that Canada and provinces have been working in.

While some may find this news of a pause on tariffs to be providing a sense of relief, it could contribute to complacency which Trump could use to present some other type of surprise on Canada.

As recently as this morning, Trump was still saying it would essentially be ‘so much easier’ if Canada were to just become a “cherished 51st state”. He just wants our minerals, water and other natural resources.

Let’s not give Trump too much credit here for having the patience or aptitude for a master strategy. He just likes to disrupt and destabilize and see what gold might fall out of the tree.

Trump said in his statement today that “Economic” matters will be dealt with at the end of the 30-days of dealing with fentanyl and border measures.

mapleline business centre, printing

Canadians are now sensitized:

Trump does need power, and a steady supply of it. It’s his personal fuel. See today how he’s grabbed the momentum of the tariff-related news and has made Canada grovel.

Even if tariffs never eventually come to pass, Canadians have already been jerked around enough to be made frustrated. For many Canadians and Canadian businesses, things will not go back to a peaceful complacent normal.

“Canada has been granted a 30-day reprieve from tariffs” said one CBC news host as this news broke. This also shows an attitude of Canada having already been put in a position of feeling victimized. That sort of comment does — at best — only experiencing a bit of relief from being beaten up on. It’s like the abused domestic partner getting a few days between beatings.

metchosin, mayor, events

Continued need to achieve economic independence:

This morning Trump said: “What I’d like to see Canada become our 51st state.”. That should remain fresh for everyone, top of mind. This is a slow continued attack on Canada’s sovereignty.

Canada should not in any way put up with this. The only way to recover is through a methodical process toward having no economic dependence on the United States.

district of sooke

Cooler heads may prevail:

This pause gives “time for more negotiation and cooler heads to prevail”, said Council of the Federation Chair Doug Ford in a statement after this announcement. He says the real trade war (for both Canada and the USA) is with China.

Earlier today BC Premier David Eby continued his messaging that a new direction to economic diversification is underway, with no turning back to the way things were with the United States. “If you want to see Canadians get their backs up, threaten their sovereignty,” Eby said this morning during a press conference at a shipping port in North Vancouver.

premier david eby, shipping, north vancouver
BC Premier David Eby addressed media at a shipping port in North Vancouver, Feb 3, 2025. [livestream]

Then later today, Premier Eby said in a 4:30 pm press conference today that retaliatory tariffs will be suspended in BC for now but steps will be taken by the BC government to ensure that: “BC will take the steps that are necessary to support British Columbia families and businesses, that we’ll do so in a way that grows and diversifies our economy, and does not leave us in a position that we are in right now which is being far too dependent on the United States and we’re going to come out of this stronger.”

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said today that he intends for things to be “Trump proof” in his province as the threat of tariffs still remains.

“It’s time for us to own the moment,” said Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey today. He says that the so-called ‘joke’ about a 51st-state has never been that. It’s been an insult against Canadian sovereignty, said Furey today on national TV.

ist main, tariffs
Political & economic news analysis at IslandSocialTrends.ca .

===== RELATED: