Donald Trump has been mocked after he claimed he would start putting tariffs on illegal drugs in a bizarre new rant. Economists have warned the US president may plunge the world into a new global recession when he unveils a huge raft of tariffs later as part of his ‘Liberation Day’ stunt.
As much as £22 billion could be wiped out from UK exports, according to experts, with the likely knock-on effect dampening economic growth and potentially derailing the chancellor’s recently announced spending plans. Trump has insisted that the tariffs, expected to be a 20% duty on all imported products, will “stop the theft of American jobs” and “bring our industrial base back home”.
But many have questioned the 78-year-old president’s grasp of reality after he appeared to suggest that the tariffs should be placed on fentanyl smuggled into the country. Fentanyl is a controlled substance in the US, and thus cannot be subjected to border taxes.
In a post on his Truth Social social network aimed at Republican lawmakers who he claimed were not supportive enough of his trade policy, he wrote: “Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul, also of Kentucky, will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change, and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push to not penalise Canada for the sale, into our Country, of large amounts of Fentanyl, by Tariffing the value of this horrible and deadly drug in order to make it more costly to distribute and buy. They are playing with the lives of the American people, and right into the hands of the Radical Left Democrats and Drug Cartels. “
His comments have drawn puzzled reactions from commentators, including some who asked whether he understood how tariffs actually worked. Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief at conservative publication The Dispatch, wrote on X: “Wait. Does Trump think we can tariff the ‘sale’ of fentanyl into America from those Canadian drug cartels?”
Others joked that he appeared to be encouraging the production of the deadly drug within the US itself, as one user replying to Mr Goldberg’s post wrote: “Obviously tariffs on Canadian fentanyl would help bring back jobs and protect good old American fentanyl producers, who have been treated VERY UNFAIRLY.”
Donald Trump will unveil his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs in the White House Rose Garden at 9pm BST this evening.
As the UK braces for the potential economic impact, Keir Starmer said the Government has “prepared for all eventualities” and is working with companies likely to be hit by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
He told the Commons today: “A trade war is in nobody’s interests, and the country deserves – and we will take – a calm and pragmatic approach. That’s why constructive talks are progressing to agree a wider economic prosperity deal with the US.
“That’s why we’re working will all industries and sectors likely to be impacted. Our decisions will always be guided by our national interest, and that’s why we have prepared for all eventualities and we will rule nothing out.”
The Prime Minister also said the Government is “looking carefully at the details of any retaliatory tariffs announced by the EU” if the US goes ahead with its plans to introduce tariffs. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn warned “there is an issue in respect to Northern Ireland” if the EU brings in countermeasures.
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Rachel Reeves meanwhile told the Commons Treasury Committee that the main impact on the British economy would be from “global tariffs” rather than UK-specific ones, thanks to depressed demand and higher inflation in other countries.
She said: “I think that’s really important to understand, because even if we are able to secure an economic deal with the United States – which we very much want to secure and are working hard to secure that – even if that’s possible, (it) doesn’t mean somehow that we are out of the woods and not impacted by tariffs.
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