The Effect of Trump Tariffs on Mexico and Canada
Key Messages
- US President Donald Trump has recently announced 25% tariffs on US imports from Canada and Mexico. A simulation analysis using a quantitative framework shows that Trump’s tariffs would hit the manufacturing sector of the US’s North American neighbors particularly hard.
- In the event that Mexico and Canada impose symmetric retaliatory tariffs, all sectors of the economy (services, agriculture, and manufacturing) would incur permanent value-added losses.
- In Mexico and Canada, manufacturing has the largest decline in value added, 13% and 14%, respectively.
- For the US economy, agriculture has the largest decline in value added (-2.39%), but other sectors of the economy also incur permanent losses.
- In the event of retaliation, Canada would have to expect a long-term permanent decline in total exports of up to 28%, while Mexico could see a drop of more than 35% and the US of 22%.
US President Donald Trump has recently announced that tariffs on US imports from Canada and Mexico will take effect on March 4, 2025. This policy brief shows that the US tariffs would have a large impact on the North American neighbors. In the event of retaliation, all sectors of the economy (services, agriculture, and industry) in the three directly affected countries, including the US economy, would experience value-added losses. Moreover, in terms of trade flows, Canada would have to expect a long-term permanent decline in total exports of up to 28%, while Mexico could see a drop of more than 35% and the US of 22%. The close ties with the US due to their geographical location and the sectoral structure of their bilateral trade flows make it harder for Mexico and Canada to divert trade flows to other trade partners. Now more than ever, they should act to diversify their trade relations.
Andreas Baur and Lisandra Flach: "The Effect of Trump Tariffs on Mexico and Canada", EconPol Policy Brief 70, March 2025.