Canada, Mexico retaliate after Trump imposes tariffs on imports
Washington/Ottawa/Mexico City: US President Donald Trump has imposed steep tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, escalating trade tensions in the region. The move, which Trump had been threatening for months, was formalised through an executive order on Saturday.
In response, Canada's caretaker Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a 25% tariff on US imports. "Tariffs violate a free trade agreement that was negotiated a few years ago. These measures will have real consequences for the American people," Trudeau stated at a press conference. Canada will impose immediate tariffs on C$30 billion worth of US goods starting Tuesday, followed by further tariffs on C$125 billion worth of products in the next three weeks. Trudeau also indicated that Canada is considering non-tariff measures related to critical minerals, energy procurement, and other partnerships.
Trump's executive order places a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, along with a 10% tariff on all imports from China. The order includes a mechanism to escalate tariffs further if other countries retaliate.
Mexico has also responded with countermeasures. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized that while Mexico prioritises collaboration, it will not tolerate subordination. "We must work together under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, and respect for sovereignty, which is non-negotiable," she stated on social media platform X.
Sheinbaum also rejected Trump's allegations that the Mexican government has ties with criminal organisations, calling the claims "slander" and asserting that Mexico would not accept any form of US intervention in its territory.
With the US' two largest trade partners pushing back, Trump's tariff policy is likely to fuel economic tensions in the region.
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4.4 magnitude quake hits northern Pakistan
Islamabad (PTI): A 4.4 magnitude earthquake jolted parts of north and northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, the second tremor to hit the country in as many days.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The earthquake that struck at 9:30 am (local time) originated at a depth of 14 kilometres with its epicentre located 11 kms northeast of Burhan, Attock, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, Islamabad.
Tremors were felt in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The Saturday morning quake came less than 24 hours after a 5.9 magnitude temblor struck parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, with tremors felt in several cities, including Peshawar and Islamabad, on Friday.
The epicentre of that quake at 6:09 pm (local time) was in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region at a depth of 101 kilometres.
Earthquakes are common in northern Pakistan due to its location in the Himalayas where the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates meet.
Earlier, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit Balochistan province on February 13 but no loss to life or property was reported there too. Its epicentre was 86 kms northeast of Khuzdar town of the province.
The quake was preceded on the same day by another tremor of magnitude 3.8 that struck 75 kms southeast of Khuzdar at a depth of 33 kms.
The worst quake the country suffered was in 2005, which killed about 74,000 people.
