United States Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, has urged Canada and Mexico to align their trade policies with the United States by imposing matching tariffs on Chinese goods.

This proposal comes as a potential strategy for these nations to avoid impending U.S. tariffs of up to 25% on their exports, set to take effect after a temporary pause expires next Tuesday.

“I do think one very interesting proposal that the Mexican government has made is perhaps matching the US on our China tariffs,” Bessent told Bloomberg Television in an interview.

“I think it would be a nice gesture if the Canadians did it also,” he added.

Bessent stated that if Canada and Mexico matched U.S. tariffs on China, it would create a “Fortress North America” to protect against a surge of Chinese imports.

Washington has repeatedly raised concerns about China’s excess industrial capacity, warning that it could flood the global market with underpriced goods, undermining competition.

Earlier this week, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed optimism about reaching a tariff deal with Trump, suggesting potential levies on Chinese imports as part of the negotiations.

However, when asked about the issue, Trump stated that the proposed tariffs would take effect as scheduled on March 4 unless the problems of illegal migration and drug trafficking into the U.S. were addressed.

He also announced an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese imports, doubling the initial 10% levy implemented in early February.