An aerial view of private vehicles entering the United States from Canada at the Pacific Highway Port of Entry, Blaine, Washington State, United States, February 1, 2025. /CFP

Global officials and economists have warned US President Donald Trump's new tariffs on major trade partners Canada, Mexico and China will likely make life more expensive in the US and further strain its trade relations with other countries.

Mexico condemns US tariffs

Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard wrote on social media platform X that Trump's executive order to impose 25 percent tariffs against Mexican goods is a "flagrant violation" of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

He said the move is tantamount to the US shooting itself in the foot and would ultimately harm its own economic interests.

Mexican lawmaker Ricardo Monreal condemned the move as "absurd, illegal and an abuse of power" and described the tariffs as one of the most severe economic attacks since Mexico's independence. 

He said that Mexico cannot accept such a large-scale unilateral decision, which damages its economy, infringes on its sovereignty and directly harms its citizens. 

Meanwhile, Ignacio Martinez, an international affairs expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said the detrimental effects of the tariffs will hit Mexico's manufacturing and export-driven regions hardest, particularly in the central and northern areas. Additionally, the southern region could face economic hardships due to a potential decrease in remittances from Mexican migrants in the US, leading to weakened purchasing power and exacerbated poverty.

A truck drives into the United States at the US-Mexico border fence seen on the background at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, February 1, 2025. /CFP

Canada retaliates to US tariffs

Canada has also responded strongly, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing on Saturday a retaliatory tariffs of 25 percent on US goods worth 155 billion in Canadian dollars ($105.3 billion). 

A Public Policy Forum (PPF) article wrote that tariffs are paid by importers, not foreign governments or exporters, that will most often be passed on to consumers. "That's why there are no winners in a trade war — everyone pays and hurts," it wrote. 

PPF economist Trevor Tombe estimated on Monday that a trade war could lead to a 4.1 percent increase in consumer prices in Canada.

China vows to take countermeasures

In response to the Trump administration's additional 10 percent tariffs on Chinese goods, China's Ministry of Commerce said the country will file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization and take corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests.

In a Sunday statement, the ministry said China hopes the US will address its fentanyl and other related issues objectively and rationally, rather than using tariffs to threaten other countries.

The statement added that China is urging the US to correct its approach. China is hoping that the two countries can meet each other halfway.

Think tanks: Tariffs will also harm US economy

American think tank Atlantic Council said that US refineries will pay higher prices for crude oil imported from Canada and Mexico following the tariffs.

A Tax Foundation analysis found that the tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China would shrink the US economy by 0.4 percent and amount to a tax increase for each American household by an average of $830 in 2025.

(With input from Xinhua; Cover via CFP)