'It doesn't have to be this way': Canada, Mexico and China respond to Trump's tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday imposed long-threatened tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China — and it didn't take long for the countries to respond.

Trump signed an order slapping 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, and a 10% duty on Chinese imports, due to start on Tuesday. Energy resources from Canada face a lower, 10% tariff to "minimize any disruptive effects we might have on gasoline and home heating oil prices," according to a senior administration official.

In the executive order, Trump said that if the countries — the U.S.'s three-largest trading partners — retaliate, it could be met with an "increase or expand in scope" of the duties already imposed.

In a post on X, Trump said the duties had been imposed "because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl."

The U.S. does about $1.6 trillion in business each year with Canada, Mexico and China. The tariffs are expected to be used as both bargaining chips and methods to effect foreign policy changes — specifically regarding immigration and drug trade issues — by the Trump administration.

Reaction from one of the three countries was swift and decisive, while the others appeared to take more of a wait-and-see approach to Trump's tariffs. Here is a look at their responses.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slapped retaliatory tariffs of 25% against $155 billion of U.S. goods soon after the Trump tariffs were announced.

He said duties on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods will be imposed on Tuesday, with tariffs on a further $125 billion worth of products are due to be introduced in 21 days, "to allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives."

"Like the American tariffs, our response will also be far-reaching and include everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing and shoes," Trudeau said in a press conference on Saturday evening. "It'll include major consumer products like household appliances, furniture and sports equipment, and materials like lumber and plastics, along with much, much more."

Addressing American citizens directly, Trudeau added: "This is a choice that, yes, will harm Canadians, but beyond that, it will have real consequences for you, the American people."

Retaliatory tariffs are expected to further exacerbate price hikes in both the U.S. and elsewhere. The price of everything from cars and electronics to toys and food is expected to be impacted.

Trudeau added that "it doesn't have to be this way."

"Yes, we've had our differences in the past, but we've always found a way to get past them. As I've said before, if President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us," he said.

Mexico also vowed retaliation following the news, although did not reveal specifics.

President Claudia Sheinbaum slammed Trump's tariffs and said she had instructed the secretary of the economy to "implement the Plan B we have been working on, which includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico's interests."

In a long post on X, the president added: "We categorically reject the White House's slander of the Government of Mexico alleging alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention to interfere in our territory."

"Mexico does not want confrontation. We start from the collaboration between neighboring countries," she said in the post, translated by NBC. "Mexico not only does not want fentanyl to reach the United States, it does not want it to reach anywhere."

"We must work together in a comprehensive manner, but always under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, collaboration and above all, respect for sovereignty, which is non-negotiable. Coordination, yes; subordination, no," she added.

China said it would file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization in response to the duties, and "take necessary countermeasures."

"The U.S.'s unilateral tariff hike seriously violates WTO rules, does nothing to resolve its own issues, and disrupts normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the U.S.," the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Sunday, according to an NBC translation.

"In response to this wrongful action, China will file a lawsuit with the WTO and take necessary countermeasures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests." China has complained to the WTO over tariffs before, notably regarding the EU's tariffs on Chinese EVs last year.  

The fact that China stopped short of immediate escalation has raised hopes that there could be some room to avoid an all-out trade war between the two countries. The lower, 10%-tariffs imposed on Chinese-made goods may also be a relief given repeated threats made by Trump on the campaign trail to impose duties of 60% or more on imports from the country.

In its statement, China pushed back on Trump's comments about fentanyl, describing it as a "domestic issue."

"China urges the U.S. to take an objective and rational approach to its domestic issues, including fentanyl, rather than resorting to tariff threats against other countries," it said.

Synthetic opioid fentanyl is an addictive drug that causes many thousands of overdose deaths each year in the U.S. The chemicals needed to make the drug are mostly produced in China and Mexico. Washington and Beijing had previously agreed to cooperate on the issue.

In a note on Sunday, Paul Ashworth, Capital Economics' chief North America economist, said the tariffs were "just the first strike in what could become a very destructive global trade war."

He said he expects European Union imports to be targeted in the next couple of months, with universal tariffs — much heralded by Trump on the campaign trail — expected in April.

The economic impact will be significant for all countries involved, according to Ashworth.

"Since exports to the U.S. account for around 20% of their GDP, today's tariffs could plunge both the Canadian and Mexican economies into recession later this year," he wrote.

"The resulting surge in U.S. inflation from these tariffs and other futures measures is going to come even faster and be larger than we initially expected."

— CNBC's Tanaya Macheel, Kevin Breuninger and Jeff Cox contributed to this report.