Trump launches tariff trade war

[Anchor]

President Trump has opened the door to a gunfire-free trade war.

He has pulled out the tariff increase card against allied countries Canada and Mexico, as well as China.

He has signed an executive order.

The first news is from reporter Kim Kyung-soo.

[Report]

President Trump has signed an executive order imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China as previously announced.

Products from Canada and Mexico, which previously had no tariffs, will now face a 25% tariff, while products from China will see an additional 10% tariff.

The implementation will begin on the 4th.

Trump emphasized again that this action is due to the influx of illegal immigrants, zombie drugs, and fentanyl into the United States.

[Donald Trump/President of the United States/Jan. 31: "China makes the fentanyl, gives it to Mexico, puts it through Canada... and so all three haven't treated us very well."]

The executive order also includes a provision that tariffs will be increased if Canada retaliates against the U.S.

However, Trump decided to apply only a 10% tariff on Canadian crude oil, which is directly related to consumer prices.

He boasted that imposing tariffs would not affect U.S. prices, but in reality, that is not the case.

[Matthew Martin/Research firm Economist: "Those in the Midwest who are directly connected to those supply chains in Canada are going to see higher prices at the pump."]

Concerns have been raised in the industrial sector, including the petrochemical industry, and the Wall Street Journal criticized it as "the dumbest trade war in history."

President Trump's actions may just be the beginning.

He has pledged universal tariffs on all countries and has also indicated sector-specific tariffs on semiconductors and steel.

This is Kim Kyung-soo from KBS News in Washington.