Washington, 2 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The United States' three largest trading partners have hit back at tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

Trump signed an order on Saturday to impose tariffs of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada, along with a 10% tariff on Chinese products.

The White House said the tariffs, which go into effect on Tuesday, were in response to the three countries allowing illegal drugs to enter the US.

"President Trump is taking bold action to hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country," a statement from the White House said.

The tariffs would be imposed "until the crisis is alleviated," the statement said.

Energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10% tariff, it added.

The orders state any retaliatory action by the three countries could see the tariffs increased or expanded.

Following Trump's move, Trudeau announced Canada would introduce matching 25% tariffs on up to $155 billion ($106 billion US) in imports from the US.

The actions taken by the White House "split us apart instead of bringing us together," Trudeau told a press conference.

"If President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us."

Trudeau called on Canadians to buy locally, rather than purchasing US products and services.

Canada's British Columbia province immediately responded by pulling US liquor from shop shelves and excluding US products from government purchases.

Premier David Eby wrote on social media platform X that Canada would not "roll over."

"If America thinks tariffs will crush the resolve of Canadians – they’re wrong."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had asked her finance minister "to implement [the] ‘Plan B’ that we have been working on," which included tariff and non-tariff measures, she wrote on X.

She also hit back at Washington’s "slander" that her government had allied itself with drug cartels.

China said it opposed the tariffs, and vowed to take "corresponding countermeasures," a statement from Beijing's commerce ministry said.

China would challenge the US tariffs through the World Trade Organization, the ministry said.

It also called on the US to work together and manage differences between the two "on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect," it added.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said it was his duty to ensure the safety of Americans.

"I made a promise on my Campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our Borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of it," he wrote.

Trump won November's presidential election promising to slap high tariffs on foreign goods. He previously implemented a number of duties during his first term from 2017 to 2021.