Industry groups argue that imposing widespread tariffs won’t solve the fentanyl crisis. Families affected by it support the move.
WASHINGTON—The Trump administration issued a series of press releases on Sunday, reaffirming President Donald Trump’s stance on tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China as a “necessary solution.”
Trump pushed back on the arguments made by critics, including some business groups and the Wall Street Journal, who believe the tariffs will drive inflation, hurting consumers and the overall economy.
“The ‘Tariff Lobby,’ headed by the Globalist, and always wrong, Wall Street Journal, is working hard to justify countries like Canada, Mexico, China,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday morning.
He accused them of enabling the decades-long “rip-off of America” through trade, crime, and the influx of drugs into the country.
“Those days are over!” he added, in all caps.
After this message, the White House released a detailed report with data and sources, to defend tariffs and highlight their existing positive impact on the U.S. economy, job growth, and their role in reducing the trade deficit. In another release, the White House criticized the Wall Street Journal, accusing it of supporting “America Last policies.”
The White House report stated that the overdose deaths from fentanyl in the United States increased nearly 25-fold between 2012 and 2022.
Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18-45, estimated to claim 74,702 lives in 2023, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Most of the fentanyl entering the country is produced in Mexico using chemical precursors imported from China, the report said, noting that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) actively supports these operations through tax rebates and grants, and even holds stakes in companies involved in trafficking fentanyl and its precursors.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is more potent than morphine and heroin, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
There are two major drug cartels in Mexico that flood the United States with fentanyl, fueling the worst drug crisis in American history.
CBP data showed that in fiscal year 2024, officials seized 21,148 pounds of fentanyl at the U.S. Southwest border—which is “enough to kill 4.8 billion people,” the White House said.
By Emel Akan
