Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNN on Monday that Canada and Mexico have done a "good job" when it comes to stemming illegal immigration at their respective shared borders with the United States, but "they haven't done enough" on stopping the flow of fentanyl.
Lutnick said President Donald Trump must now decide on how he's going to spur the U.S.' northern and southern neighbors into action, CBC News' Katie Simpson reported in a thread on X.
"You've got to let the president use tariffs as his driving force," Lutnick told CNN, adding that if Mexico and Canada hate the threat of tariffs, their governments should "close the border."
The Trump Cabinet member said that the administration planned to "talk about it all day today" and suggested that a decision on the planned tariffs would be revealed on Tuesday, according to Simpson's reporting.
He also said that the border issues need to be dealt with before Trump starts overhauling the auto industry, noting that the president wants to bring jobs back to Michigan and Ohio.
The United States is set to impose tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico beginning on Tuesday, but Lutnick said on Sunday that the situation is "fluid" and that Trump will determine the levels.
"There are going to be tariffs on Tuesday on Mexico and Canada," Lutnick told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on "Sunday Morning Futures." "Exactly what they are, we're going to leave that for the president and his team to negotiate."
Lutnick said that the U.S. will impose tariffs against China as well because the country has not stopped manufacturing the ingredients for fentanyl, which has killed scores of Americans.
"If China thinks they are going to retaliate, remember they have so much more that they sell to us than we sell to them," Lutnick said. "It is not even close."
"This is not a battle that we are ever going to lose," he said. "The president knows it. He does have the cards, and he is going to protect America."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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