On February 1, 2025, President Trump announced that the United States would be imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China in response to the “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl,” which “constitutes a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.” Specifically, President Trump intended to impose a “25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China,” with the exception that “[e]nergy resources from Canada w[ould] have a lower 10% tariff.” President Trump declared that the tariffs would “remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of” the United States.

In response, on February 3, 2025, Canada announced that effective February 4, 2025,Canada would be “imposing 25 per cent tariffs on $30 billion in goods imported from the United States” as set forth in a list of products subject to the tariffs.  Notably, included among the products subject to additional tariffs are revolvers, pistols, muzzleloaders, shotguns, rifles, and “other arms” (including “air or gas guns”), as well as ammunition and cartridges for those products.  Canada’s tariffs would thus have impacted the U.S. firearms industry’s distribution of goods to Canada.

However, a deal putting the tariffs on hold was reached before the tariffs went into effect. Specifically, on February 4, 2025, the United States and Canada agreed to a 30-day pause of the tariffs based on Canada’s promise to spend $1.3 billion on U.S.-Canada border security to help stop the threat posed by illegal immigration and drugs. And on February 3, 2025, the United States also agreed to a 30-day pause of its tariffs directed to Mexico based on Mexico’s promise to deploy 10,000 military troops to the U.S.-Mexico border for the purpose of stopping similar threats. The 30-day pauses of the tariffs are intended to allow the countries to come to terms on specifics of the agreements. Thus, for now, the tariffs announced by Canada that include targeting the U.S. firearms industry will not be imposed.

China announced that starting on February 10, 2025, it will impose additional tariffs on products imported from the United States. Specifically, China intends to impose a 15% tariff on liquid natural gas, a 15% tariff on coal, and a 10% tariff on oil, large-engine cars, and agricultural machinery. As of the time of this publication, China and the United States have not reached a deal to pause the tariffs.

Additionally, on February 10, 2025, President Trump signed a proclamation that, pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the United States would be “reinstating the full 25% tariff on steel imports and increasing tariffs on aluminum imports to 25%.” Prior to the date of the proclamation, certain countries received exemptions from such tariffs, but those exemptions “inadvertently created loopholes that were exploited by China and others with excess steel and aluminum capacity, undermining the purpose of these exemptions.” Those loopholes will now be closed.

Today, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to investigate plans for new reciprocal tariffs that could boost America’s revenue.

Renzulli Law Firm will continue to monitor these tariffs and their potential impacts on the firearms industry.  If you have any questions about the tariffs, please contact John F. Renzulli or Christopher Renzulli.