In a dramatic twist, the 47th President of the United States (US), Donald Trump on Monday agreed to hold off imposing 25% tariffs on Canada for 30 days, pulling the North American neighbour back from the brink of a potentially damaging trade war.
The development comes after a last-minute call between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who agreed to reinforce his country’s border with the US to clamp down on migration and the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl.
Following the call, Trump and Trudeau posted on social media that they had reached a temporary agreement on securing the border that would avoid tariffs for at least 30 days.
“As president, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of ALL Americans, and I am doing just that. I am very pleased with this initial outcome,” Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social.
Trudeau said Canada was implementing a $1.3bn (£1bn) border plan that included nearly 10,000 frontline workers and more resources to halt the flow of fentanyl, a synthetic drug 50 times stronger than heroin, which Trump has cited as a major concern.
The prime minister also said Canada would appoint a fentanyl czar and launch a joint strike force with the US to combat crime, fentanyl and money laundering.