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Trump threatens trade war on Mexico, Canada, China
Trump made his threat in social media posts, announcing huge import tariffs against neighbours Canada and Mexico, and also rival China if they don’t stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling into the US.
China responded that “no one will win a trade war,” while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned that “for every tariff, there will be a response in kind.”
A Canadian government source said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trump and had a “productive” discussion, without giving further detail.
Such tariffs threaten to disrupt the global economy, deepen already fierce tensions with China, and upend relations with the US’s two largest neighbours.
Nervous stock markets saw “volatile trading conditions” as they digested the news, said an analyst at City Index, Fawad Razaqzada.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump said late Monday that he would enact the tariffs when he takes office on January 20, 2025, if his — vaguely worded — demands were not met.
The posts signal Trump’s intention to return to the governing style of his first presidency when he regularly shocked Washington and US partners with abrupt, major policy shifts which he announced on social media.
They also confirmed that Trump is serious about his major campaign promise to use the US economic muscle as leverage on issues having little to do with trade — namely his claim that the US is under siege by foreign crime and dangerous migrants.
On Tuesday, Trump named two important figures to his economic team: Jamieson Greer as his trade representative and Kevin Hassett as his top economic advisor, heading the White House National Economic Council.
Both had roles in his first administration, with Greer serving as the Chief of Staff to former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
“I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25 per cent tariff on all products coming into the United States,” Trump earlier posted.
“This tariff will remain in effect until such time as drugs, in particular Fentanyl and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!” he said.
In another post, Trump said he would be slapping China with a 10 per cent tariff, “above any additional tariffs,” because the world’s second-biggest economy was failing to execute fentanyl smugglers.
The spokesman for China’s embassy in the US, Liu Pengyu, told AFP, “China believes that China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature.”
Mexico’s Sheinbaum fired back at Trump, saying his tariffs diplomacy was “not acceptable” and based on erroneous claims.
“It is not with threats or tariffs that the migration phenomenon will be stopped, nor the consumption of drugs in the United States,” she said.
Sheinbaum pointed out that the Mexican narcotics industry largely exists to serve demand in the US.
“Seventy per cent of the illegal weapons seized from criminals in Mexico come from your country.
“Tragically, it is in our country that lives are lost to the violence resulting from meeting the drug demand in yours,” she said.
– Bluster or serious? –
A senior adviser at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, William Reinsch, said Trump’s online threats may be bluster — a strategy of “threaten and then negotiate.”
However, Trump’s first White House term was marked by an aggressive and protectionist trade agenda that also targeted China, Mexico and Canada, alongside Europe.
While in office, Trump launched an all-out trade war with China, imposing significant tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods.
China responded with retaliatory tariffs on American products, particularly affecting US farmers.
Economists say tariffs can hurt US growth and fuel inflation since they are paid by importers who often pass those costs on to consumers.
Trump has said he would put his Commerce Secretary-designate Howard Lutnick, a China hawk, in charge of trade policy.
AFP
The newly appointed administrator of Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr Atajit Francis has warned staff of the council against negligence to duty.
Francis handed down the warning at Ngo, the council headquarters, shortly after resumption of duty.
The administrator who also met with the Head of the Local Government Administration said that the third tier of government requires diligence to deliver people-oriented services.
Francis further said that under his watch, underperformance and dereliction of duty would not be condoned.
He stated, “While we are on the saddle, we shall reward diligence and hard work. We urge staff to work towards achieving set goals.
“My mandate is specified, they include sanitation, environmental development, job creation, primary education and primary health care.
“The essence is to positively impact the lives of our people, knowing that the local government is the closest tier of government to the people.”
Insisting that transparency and integrity were critical to effective grassroots development and service delivery, he said, “So I expect all staff to uphold the highest ethical standards and accountability in the discharge of their duties.”
Recall that the Rivers State’s sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) recently appointed administrators to oversee the affairs of the 23 local government councils in the state after he suspended the Heads of Local Government Administration appointment by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Newcastle soared up to third in the Premier League with a 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace on Wednesday to close in on a return to the Champions League next season.
Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schar and Alexander Isak were on target for the Magpies, with Marc Guehi also scoring an own goal, as Newcastle made light of the absence of manager Eddie Howe due to pneumonia.
A sixth consecutive victory in all competitions opens up a five-point lead for Newcastle over sixth-placed Chelsea, with a place in the top five good enough for Champions League qualification.
Palace remain down in 12th with their season now fully focused on an FA Cup semi-final date with Aston Villa later this month.
Newcastle travel to Villa on Saturday in a huge clash in the battle for European places.
But the League Cup winners are pulling away from the chasing pack for a top-five finish, buoyed by ending their 70-year wait for domestic silverware last month.
“That gave us huge confidence,” said Newcastle assistant manager Jason Tindall, who is was deputising for Howe, of lifting the League Cup.
“We were able to enjoy that for a period of time but we knew what our objectives were for the remainder of the season – to finish as high up the league table as possible.
“The manager always leads and sets that example of never switching off. They’ve gone out there, been really consistent and delivering performances.”
Isak wasted two big early chances to open the scoring when he was firstly denied by a fine Dean Henderson save and then headed over from Murphy’s enticing cross.
Newcastle only had to wait until the 14th minute to open the scoring when Murphy blasted in a remarkable finish from a narrow angle.
– Eze fluffs penalty –
Palace were gifted the chance to get back into the game when goalkeeper Nick Pope rushed off his line and wiped out Chris Richards in his attempt to punch the ball clear.
After a lengthy VAR check, a penalty was finally awarded.
However, Eberechi Eze’s lackadaisical spot-kick was easily collected by the relieved Pope.
Within a minute, Newcastle had doubled their lead when Guehi turned into his own net as he attempted to block Barnes’ cross towards Isak.
The England defender has been regularly linked with a move to Tyneside and has now scored an own goal in each of Palace’s two meetings with Newcastle this season.
“There are some days where nothing works, and at the same time everything worked for Newcastle,” said Palace boss Oliver Glasner.
“We couldn’t deal with their intensity and directness and pace.”
It went from bad to worse for the visitors as Barnes continued his fine form with a composed finish for his fourth goal in three games.
Murphy’s free-kick was then flicked in by Schar to make it 4-0 before the break.
The normally lethal Isak continued to be frustrated in front of goal as Henderson spread himself to deny another effort from point-blank range early in the second half.
However, the Swedish striker finally got his 25th goal of the season with a fine finish from outside the area just before the hour mark.
Simon Ekpa, the controversial Biafra separatist, has appointed a new legal representative ahead of his upcoming trial in Finland scheduled for June 2025.
In November 2024, Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, was arrested by law enforcement in Finland.
He was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.”
Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.
He is accused of instigating violence and inciting terror in the South East of Nigeria through his social media pages.
Nigerian authorities have been demanding the extradition of Ekpa, a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, for prosecution.
However, the effort has been yielded the right result.
Last year, Mikko Laaksonen, the senior detective superintendent at the National Bureau of Investigation, NBI, in Finland, disclosed that a Finnish district court fixed May 2025 for the prosecution to file charges against Ekpa.
Subsequently, Laaksonen said Ekpa will remain in custody until his trial since the alleged offence is not bailable.
In March, Nigeria sanctions committee (NSC) designated Ekpa and 16 entities as alleged terrorism financiers in the country.
The committee also ordered the freezing of the bank accounts connected to the alleged terrorism financiers.
According to BBC Pidgin, Ekpa has changed his lawyer because the previous one had “retired from service.”
Kaarle Gummerus, Ekpa’s new lawyer, said he had received the pre-trial file of his client and he is “currently checking through.”
Gummerus added that Ekpa will appear in court in June 2025 to face trial.
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