Secretary of Commerce-designate Howard Lutnick told a Senate committee that the threat of imposing a 25% tariff was to get Canada and Mexico to “respect” the United States and stop the flow of fentanyl into the country.

President Donald Trump's nominee to run the Commerce Department, Howard Lutnick, said on Wednesday that Canada and Mexico can avoid looming U.S. tariffs if they act swiftly to close their borders to fentanyl,

He noted those tariffs were separate from a broad effort by the Commerce Department, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office and the Treasury Department to review trade relations and tariffs by April 1.

Trump has said he is considering imposing 25% tariffs on both countries by 1 February. He has previously tied the tariffs threat to ending illegal migration and drugs crossing into the US through its southern and northern borders.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump justified the tariffs as a response to what he described as excessive migration, drug trafficking, and unfair trade practices. While he suggested the tariff rate could rise further,

President Donald Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, billionaire financial-services executive Howard Lutnick, made an effort Wednesday to ease concerns about potentially inflationary 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico that could hit Saturday.