Tariffs, Fentanyl, etc.

The tariff issue is complicated and not easily explained in a soundbite.

Tariffs are a tool that can be used to reorganize trade deals and remedy unfair dumping of semi-finished and manufactured goods that harm American industry and jobs.

The American lumber and wood products industry is where unfair trade practices in Canada have led to hardship. American producers complain that they are at a competitive disadvantage because of Canada’s timber pricing policies.

This in turn has hurt our American wood products and lumber producers – particularly those producing softwood products – costing American jobs.

Other tariff considerations include the European Union (EU).

The EU is heavily reliant on Russian natural gas and oil, and they are increasingly choosing Chinese goods over American products.

We are the EU’s strongest allies and champions of Western values and freedoms. China, ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, and Putin’s Russia are not the kind of nations that Europe should want to emulate.

President Trump had pundits’ heads spinning over his recent announcement of tariffs. However, some of his goals were achieved, and most of the tariff issues have been resolved, at least temporarily.

More specifically, Trump ordered a 25% tariff levied against Mexico, a 25% tariff levied against Canadian goods, a lesser 10% tariff on Canadian energy, and a 10% tariff on China.

The White House cited the “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs” constituting a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

We saw astronomical increases in the levels of illegal immigration over our southern and northern borders because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s open border policies.

The Committee on Homeland Security notes that since the start of Fiscal Year 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported more than 9 million encounters at the southern border, per CBP data.

During this period, the Mexican and Canadian governments did not take sufficient steps to impede the illegal immigration surge.

As a result, numerous illegal activities like human smuggling surged. The Mexican cartels flooded the U.S. with deadly fentanyl. The cartels were aided by China, who provided the precursor drugs for making fentanyl and its analogues.

To alleviate these significant national security concerns, which originate from the countries targeted by these proposed tariffs, stronger action is needed by Canada, Mexico and China.

Tariffs are meant to compel these partners to act in a positive way sooner rather than later.

As you know, it appears the strategy has worked so far. Within days of Trump’s announcement, Mexico’s president pledged to support our forces at the U.S.-Mexico border with 10,000 troops.

Soon afterward, Canada came to the table.

Prime Minister Trudeau assured Trump that Canada would implement a $1.3 billion border security plan, commit 10,000 officers to the U.S.-Canada border, and appoint a fentanyl czar.

Trump has put a one-month pause on the tariffs targeting Mexico and Canada. The tariffs on China went into effect, and as of this writing, remain in effect.

By addressing American concerns, Mexico and Canada appear to acknowledge they have a role in curbing illegal immigration and deadly fentanyl flowing into the United States.

Trump rightfully is concerned with deadly drugs flowing into our country. He has signed executive orders that enhance security on our southern border, better enforce U.S. immigration laws and designate some criminal cartel organizations as foreign terrorist organizations.

But Congress has a role in combatting the fentanyl crisis too.

On Day One of the 119th Congress, I reintroduced the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act.

This critical measure targets lethal fentanyl-related substances and permanently classifies these substances as Schedule I drugs.

Moreover, my bill establishes a new streamlined registration process that facilitates medical research into the estimated 4,800 analogues of fentanyl.

The bill helps law enforcement keep deadly fentanyl-related substances off our streets, closes a loophole that illicit drug dealers could use to attempt to evade punishment, and strengthens our medical research into the medical viability of these substances.

Before my bill was put on the floor for a vote, the Trump Administration stated they strongly support enactment of the HALT Fentanyl Act.

HALT Fentanyl passed the House with broad bipartisan support.

I expect the Senate to swiftly pass my bill so we can send it to the President’s desk and save American lives.

Communities throughout the U.S. have been upended by the open border policies of the Biden-Harris Administration.

I am hopeful that, after this recent tariff episode, our trading partners will better cooperate with the United States on border security and the ongoing fentanyl crisis.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at morgangriffith.house.gov.