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US First Lady Melania Trump on Monday threw her support behind a bill aimed at protecting Americans from deepfake revenge pornography, in her first solo public engagement since her husband returned to the White House.Appearing in a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill, she sought to shine a spotlight on the Take It Down Act, which criminalizes the online publication of non-consensual sexual imagery that is often created using cheap and widely available artificial intelligence tools.”In today’s AI-driven world, the threat of privacy breaches is alarming and high,” the first lady told the panel, sitting next to two teenage female victims of deepfake porn.”It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content,” she added.The bill, introduced by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, would require social media platforms and websites to have procedures in place to swiftly remove non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated pornography, upon notification from a victim.Though it has passed a vote in the US Senate, the bill has yet to clear the House of Representatives.While urging bipartisan support for the bill, Melania took a dig at Democrats for not prioritizing its passage.”I expected to see more Democrat leaders with us here today to address this serious issue,” she said.”Surely as adults, we can prioritize American children ahead of partisan politics.”An online boom in non-consensual deepfakes is currently outpacing efforts to regulate the technology around the world due to a proliferation of AI tools, including photo apps digitally undressing women.A handful of US states including California and Florida have passed laws making sexually explicit deepfakes a punishable offense, and campaigners are calling on Congress to urgently pass a host of bills to regulate their creation and dissemination, including the Take It Down Act.While high-profile politicians and celebrities, including singer Taylor Swift, have been victims of deepfake porn, experts say women not in the public eye are equally vulnerable.A wave of AI porn scandals have been reported at schools across US states — from California to New Jersey — with hundreds of teenagers often targeted by their own classmates.Such non-consensual imagery can lead to harassment, bullying or blackmail, sometimes causing devastating mental health consequences, experts warn.The scandals led to a warning from the FBI last year that such child sexual abuse material, including realistic AI-generated images, was illegal.”In an era where digital interactions are integral to daily life, it is imperative that we safeguard children from mean-spirited and hurtful online behavior,” the first lady said.The roundtable marked Melania’s first solo public engagement since Donald Trump began his second White House term.The first lady has largely been an elusive figure at the White House, spending only limited time in Washington since her husband took the oath of office on January 20. 

With his flailing of Ukraine’s leader, Donald Trump is making clearer than ever that he cares more about power than friends — a chilling message for America’s global network of allies.In the eight decades since World War II, the United States has sought to lead a global order by promoting international rules and ensuring the security of democracies in Europe and East Asia as well as oil-rich Gulf Arab monarchies.US presidents, self-proclaimed “leaders of the free world,” have dropped or weakened support to dependent partners before, including Afghanistan, South Vietnam and, when forging relations with Beijing, Taiwan.Still, there was little precedent for the dramatic, on-camera rupture Friday in the Oval Office in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has relied on Western support to withstand a three-year Russian invasion.Vance accused Zelensky of ingratitude for billions of dollars in US assistance and Trump threw a spotlight on the US ally’s weakness, telling him angrily, “You don’t have the cards.”Trump had days earlier declared that he was making a “decisive break” with past US foreign policy, which he described as “foolish” and responsible for “the deaths of many, many people.”Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for the United States to act like Russia and China in pursuing self-interest first — a contrast to former president Joe Biden, who prioritized alliances as a force multiplier for US influence.- ‘Profound shift’ on democracy -Trump has long described NATO allies as trade competitors who freeload off the US military, although last week he voiced support for the alliance’s mutual defense commitment.He mocked Zelensky as a “dictator” for not holding elections since the invasion, while praising Vladimir Putin, who has been president or prime minister of Russia for 25 years.Trump has also refused to rule out military force to seize Greenland and the Panama Canal, saying that the United States — not unlike Russia — should take what it wants.While Washington’s championing of democracy has “rightly been accused of hypocrisy, now there’s not even any pretense that the United States is upholding those values,” said Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.”I think that’s going to be very bad for nascent democracies around the world, for democratic movements and for human rights. So I think this is a really profound shift in the international global order,” he said.Bergmann said that Trump was also providing a “real opening” to rival China.”The United States has been trying to convince countries that when you do deals with China, that China could betray you,” Bergmann said.”Well, here’s the United States essentially doing the ultimate betrayal, or completely switching sides, and stopping to support a democracy at war.”- Message on Taiwan? -European leaders immediately spoke of ramping up defense without the United States. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said a “new age of infamy has begun” after the “unspeakable” scene in the White House.Among places to feel the greatest jolt: former Soviet bloc nations that eagerly joined NATO as protection against Moscow, and Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing.Trump said Monday that a Chinese invasion would be a “catastrophic event” as Taiwanese chip-making giant TSMC announced $100 billion of investment in the United States.Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific program, said Taiwan “has reason to be nervous.” Unlike Ukraine, which has backing from nearly all of Europe, Taiwan relies for weapons exclusively on the United States.But she said the economic stakes also made the situations different and pointed to Taiwan’s influence as the world’s foremost chipmaker and a major investor.In the words of Trump to Zelensky, “Taiwan has cards,” Glaser said — though the US president himself said Monday that the TSMC deal could mitigate that slightly.Joshua Rovner, a political scientist at American University, said Trump sees uncertainty as part of his strategy and in his first term, despite criticizing Europe, actually raised US troop levels on the continent.”Trump’s language you can interpret in a million different ways,” Rovner said.”What really matters is what he ultimately does with US forces.”

North Korea has slammed the United States for “political and military provocations” over the visit of a US Navy aircraft carrier to the South Korean port of Busan.The statement by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong Un, was published Tuesday by the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).”As soon as its new administration appeared this year, the US has stepped up the political and military provocations against the DPRK, ‘carrying forward’ the former administration’s hostile policy,” her statement read.DPRK is the acronym for the North’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.The USS Carl Vinson, the flagship of a carrier strike group, arrived in Busan for a scheduled port visit on Sunday, the US Navy said in a statement.”The visit to Busan exemplifies the US commitment to the region, further enhancing relationships with ROK leaders and the local population,” the US Navy said, using the acronym for the South’s formal name.Military cooperation between Seoul and Washington regularly invites condemnation from Pyongyang, where the government sees such moves as preparation for an invasion, and often carries out missile tests in response. “The US vicious moves for confrontation with the DPRK have been intensified in March with the appearance of Carl Vinson in the Korean peninsula,” said Kim Yo Jong.Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have been at one of their lowest points in years, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles last year in violation of United Nations sanctions.Last week, North Korea carried out a test-launch of strategic cruise missiles in the Yellow Sea, in a drill Pyongyang said was aimed at showing off its “counterattack” capabilities.Joint South Korea-US “Freedom Shield” military exercises are set to begin this month.The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-1953 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.Kim Yo Jong’s missive ended with what appeared to be a threat to “renew its records” in the testing of nuclear-capable missiles and other such technology.”If the US continues to renew its records in the anti-DPRK military demonstration, the DPRK will be naturally compelled to renew its records in the exercise of strategic deterrence,” she said.She said the United States and its allies were the “root cause of escalating tension” in the region, and that the North “bitterly condemns the reckless visible actions and muscle-flexing” of Washington.

US President Donald Trump warned Monday he would “not put up” much longer with Volodymyr Zelensky’s stance on the war with Russia, as the Ukrainian leader countered he wanted to end it “as soon as possible.”In a new sign of frayed ties following their White House blow-up last week, Trump called Zelensky’s assertion that an agreement to end the war remained distant “the worst statement that could have been made” by him.”America will not put up with it for much longer,” Trump said on social media.The comment came after the Ukrainian president accused Russia — which invaded Ukraine in 2014 and greatly expanded the conflict in 2022 — of not being serious about peace.Zelensky warned that tough security guarantees were the only way to end the conflict.But Trump’s attacks on Zelensky have upended US support for Ukraine, and Washington’s allies more broadly, and stoked concern about the United States pivoting to Russia.The US president stepped up his threats during an event at the White House later Monday, suggesting that Zelensky “won’t be around very long” without a ceasefire deal with Moscow.Trump said Zelensky should be “more appreciative” of the billions of dollars of military aid that Washington has contributed to Kyiv’s fight against Russia.But he offered hope that a minerals deal that fell through last week due to the row could be revived, and played down reports that he could halt military aid.- European support -“Now, maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long,” Trump said.After weekend crisis talks in London, Britain and France are investigating how to propose a one-month truce “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure” — potentially backstopped by troops on the ground.Zelensky said discussions were still focusing on the “first steps,” adding: “An agreement on ending the war is very, very far away” — a comment that angered Trump.Zelensky added in a video statement Monday that “real, honest peace” would only come with security guarantees for Ukraine, which agreed to denuclearize in 1994 only in exchange for protection provided by the United States and Britain.”It was the lack of security guarantees for Ukraine 11 years ago that allowed Russia to start with the occupation of Crimea and the war in Donbas, then the lack of security guarantees allowed Russia to launch a full-scale invasion,” Zelensky said.Russia dismissed his comments, accusing him of not wanting peace — echoing US criticisms after he was shouted down in the Oval Office on Friday.On the ground, Ukrainian officials reported fatalities from a Russian missile strike on a military training facility, some 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the front line.A respected military blogger said between 30 and 40 soldiers were killed and 90 more wounded in the attack near Dnipro on Saturday.- ‘Deliberate escalation’? -Trump has previously called Zelensky, president since 2019, a “dictator” for not holding elections, even though martial law precludes any vote because of the war. Zelensky dismissed calls for him to resign, repeating his pledge to do so only if Ukraine were given NATO membership, which Russia — and now the United States under Trump — opposes.In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed Zelensky for Friday’s White House blow-up with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, saying he “demonstrated a complete lack of diplomatic abilities.””He doesn’t want peace,” Peskov told reporters.But Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said the astonishing clash was a “deliberate escalation” by Trump.US and Russian officials have held talks on ending the war, enraging Ukraine and Europe for being sidelined, and prompting fears in Kyiv and beyond that any deal could threaten the country’s future.Zelensky triggered Trump and Vance’s ire by questioning whether Russia could be trusted to uphold a truce.French President Emmanuel Macron told daily newspaper Le Figaro that a truce would not, initially at least, cover ground fighting, as the size of the meandering front line would make it hard to enforce.Macron met Trump in Washington last week, as did Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who insisted Sunday that the United States was “not an unreliable ally,” despite Trump’s overtures to Putin.

The Los Angeles Times said Monday it was adding AI-generated counter-arguments to opinion pieces to help readers grasp differing points of view.The move comes as the Times struggles with plunging readership and heavy financial losses that have led to heavy job cuts.It also comes as some media owners seek greater control over their outlets’ coverage as President Donald Trump’s administration turns the screws on what it sees as unfavorable reporting.In a letter to readers, owner Patrick Soon-Shiong said every article containing any kind of opinion would now be labelled “Voices,” to “ensure readers can readily distinguish” it from news reporting.”Voices is not strictly limited to Opinion section content,” Soon-Shiong wrote.”It also includes news commentary, criticism, reviews, and more. If a piece takes a stance or is written from a personal perspective, it may be labeled Voices.”Computer-generated “Insights” will be appended to some of that content, identifying where on the political spectrum the view sits, he said.”The purpose of Insights is to offer readers an instantly accessible way to see a wide range of different AI-enabled perspectives alongside the positions presented in the article. “I believe providing more varied viewpoints supports our journalistic mission and will help readers navigate the issues facing this nation.”Readers soon weighed in with their own opinions on the idea, with the comments section of the article overwhelmingly negative about the initiative.”Readers don’t read the paper for AI written summaries. We can find that for free online. Just hire good journalists instead,” wrote self-described “longtime subscriber-reader” bkshyrock+1.”I pay cash to read well-reported stories written by, wait for it, humans. I don’t want this artificial slop anywhere near my journalism,” wrote pnukayapetra, adding: “Can we replace Soon-Shiong with AI instead?”Other commenters linked the move to an announcement last week by the Washington Post’s billionaire owner Jeff Bezos, who said his paper would only publish opinion pieces in support of “personal liberties and free markets,” in what was widely interpreted an effort to curry favor with Trump.”Welcome to Pravda on the Pacific,” quipped omt160, in a reference the official newspaper of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party.”Only those ideas approved by Dear Leader will be acceptable. Quite surprised that there is another fascist high tech billionaire competing with Bezos for the title of Most Subservient Media Tool.”The Times was once a giant on the US media stage, with correspondents around the globe.But years of retrenchments have seen it shrink, and last year mass layoffs further ruffled an already restless newsroom.Critics say the paper appears directionless, and while it still paints itself as a national title with a West Coast perspective, it has a much more parochial feel nowadays.

US President Donald Trump shut down hopes Monday of an eleventh hour deal with Canada and Mexico to avert sweeping tariffs, while signing an order to hike duties on China.Trump had unveiled — and then paused — blanket tariffs on imports from major trading partners Canada and Mexico in February, accusing them of failing to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking.The halt is due to expire Tuesday, and US stock markets tumbled after Trump told reporters Monday there was “no room left” for both countries to avoid fresh levies.The White House also said Trump had inked an order to increase a previously imposed 10 percent tariff on China to 20 percent.But sweeping levies, particularly on Canada and Mexico, are set to snarl supply chains for key sectors like automobiles and construction materials, risking a hike in consumer prices.This could complicate Trump’s efforts to fulfill his campaign promises of lowering costs for households.On Monday, Trump told reporters that tariffs of up to 25 percent on Canada and Mexico were “all set.””What they’ll have to do is build their car plants, frankly, and other things in the United States, in which case they have no tariffs,” he added.In Ottawa, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly said Trump’s looming tariffs represent an “existential threat” to the country, with thousands of jobs at stake.She added that if Trump went ahead, “we are ready with counter tariffs.”Beyond this week’s looming deadline, Trump said on social media that Monday that tariffs on agricultural imports would come on April 2.A White House official told AFP that this came under Trump’s existing plans for reciprocal tariffs tailored to each trading partner.”There’s no doubt that the administration is trying to solve the long-standing fentanyl and immigration challenges, and these tariffs have given the administration leverage,” said Ryan Majerus, a former US trade official.Washington is also trying to rebalance trade ties, he told AFP.But using emergency economic powers to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China is novel.”It remains to be seen how this will all play out in potential lawsuits,” warned Majerus, a partner at law firm King & Spalding.- Cost concerns -Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, told AFP the group expects that “we could see a combined duty tariff rate of above 50 percent on Canadian lumber.”Trump’s tariffs on Canada are expected to pile on to other potential levies on lumber.”Softwood lumber futures prices have gone up eight percent in the last few weeks,” he added.While the United States also plans to expand forestry, Dietz said, prices will likely rise in the short-run.Anecdotally, some builders expect they could face higher costs of $7,500 to $10,000 per newly-built single family home, he said.- ‘New headwind’ -JPMorgan analysts warned Friday that Tuesday’s tariffs would “create a significant new headwind to economic activity” and boost consumer costs.Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that her country has contingency plans, whatever the decision Trump takes.While Washington has targeted China over chemicals for the fentanyl drug, many of these components have legitimate medical uses, too — making prosecution tricky.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that less than one percent of the fentanyl and undocumented migrants that enter the United States come through the Canadian border.But he added Sunday that Canada would “have a strong, unequivocal and proportional response” if levies took effect.Trudeau’s government has taken a series of steps to address Trump’s concerns including a Can$1.3-billion ($901-million) plan to enhance border security.It has also named a fentanyl czar to coordinate efforts against the drug.Meanwhile, Mexico last week extradited some of its most notorious imprisoned drug lords to the United States in a bid to avert the sweeping duties.They included a cartel kingpin wanted for decades over the murder of a US undercover agent.

Taiwanese chip-making giant TSMC will invest at least $100 billion in the United States to build “cutting edge” manufacturing facilities, President Donald Trump said Monday, announcing the latest blockbuster financial pledge by a private company since his return to office.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s new investment will come on top of their existing commitments, and will go into “building five cutting edge fabrication facilities,” Trump said during a White House event, flanked by TSMC chief executive C.C. Wei.He added that much of the funding would be invested in the US state of Arizona, where TSMC — the world’s largest chipmaker — has already invested heavily, and would create “many thousands” of high-paying jobs.TSMC has long faced demands to move more of its production away from Taiwan, amid fears that supplies of the critical technology could be disrupted in any conflict with Beijing.The company, during former president Joe Biden’s administration, pledged to invest more than $65 billion in three factories in Arizona, one of which began production in late 2024.Trump recently ratcheted up the pressure on TSMC and other chip manufacturers by publicly mulling the introduction of 25 percent tariffs on all semiconductor chips made outside the United States.Monday’s announcement brings the total amount committed by the company to around $165 billion, C.C. Wei said Monday.”We are going to produce many chips to support AI progress, and to support smartphones’ progress,” he added.The new investment will help expand the firm’s US footprint to include “three new fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and a major R&D (research and development) team center,” while supporting 40,000 construction jobs over the next four years, TSMC said in a statement.- Tariff threats -Since regaining the White House, Trump has called on companies to create more manufacturing jobs in the United States, while threatening to impose steep levies on those who do not comply.His administration has already imposed a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods, and is scheduled to impose a 25 percent tariff Canada and Mexico from Tuesday, alongside an additional levy of 10 percent on goods from China.On Monday, Trump said there was “no room left for Mexico or for Canada” to avoid the tariffs, adding: “They’re all set, they go into effect tomorrow.”Trump has invited executives from some of the world’s largest companies — including OpenAI and Oracle — to the White House since his January 20 inauguration to tout investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars in US manufacturing.The amount announced since inauguration day now totals more than $1 trillion, including a commitment from Apple to invest $500 billion over the next four years.These gargantuan sums are sure to please Trump’s supporters. His critics point to some similarly ambitious targets pledged during his first term in office which failed to materialize.

US President Donald Trump stepped up his threats against Volodymyr Zelensky Monday after a blow-up row in the Oval Office, suggesting the Ukrainian leader “won’t be around very long” without a ceasefire deal with Russia.Trump heavily criticized Zelensky for saying the war could go on for a long time and said Ukraine’s president should be “more appreciative” of billions of dollars of military aid in Kyiv’s fight against Russia.But Trump said that a minerals deal that fell through last week due to the row was not dead, and appeared to downplay reports that he could halt military aid to Kyiv following last week’s argument at the White House.”It should not be that hard a deal to make. It could be made very fast,” Trump told reporters, referring to a ceasefire.”Now, maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long.”He added: “That person will not be listened to very long, because I believe that Russia wants to make a deal. I believe certainly the people of Ukraine want to make a deal.”Earlier Monday, Trump had slammed Zelensky after he said while in London to meet European leaders that an end to Moscow’s invasion was far off.”This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.”This guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing.” Trump also accused European leaders of weakness, saying that they had “stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US.” “Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.Trump’s broadsides came after a meeting with Zelensky at the White House on Friday descended into an extraordinary on-camera argument.Trump and US Vice President JD Vance raised their voices and accused Zelensky of being disrespectful and ungrateful for US military assistance, as the Ukrainian pushed his demand for American security guarantees as part of any truce.Zelensky was then told to leave the White House, with the crucial deal giving Washington preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral resources left unsigned.Trump was meeting his top aides later Monday to discuss next steps on Ukraine.But he played down reports that he was considering cutting military aid if Zelensky doesn’t agree to a truce.”I haven’t even talked about that right now. I mean, right now, we’ll see what happens. A lot of things are happening right now, literally as we speak,” Trump said.The wider message was that Zelensky needed to apologize for the row in what Trump called the “cherished” Oval Office.”What we need to hear from President Zelensky is that he has regret for what happened,” US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News.Waltz also denied suggestions by incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Trump and Vance had deliberately escalated the clash. “This was no ambush,” Waltz said.

Folk rock legend Neil Young and his band Chrome Hearts will open an upcoming European tour with a free concert in Ukraine, according to a post on his website.The 79-year-old Toronto-born musician, who was part of the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, said it would be “a free concert for all.” Details are still being worked out, including the show’s date and location: “We are currently in talks,” Young said.”Keep on Rockin’ in the free world,” he ended the statement, a reference to his 1991 hit song, alongside an image of the Ukrainian flag against a blue sky.The announcement late Sunday came just days after US President Donald Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting in the Oval Office.Young, a longtime critic of Trump who sued his campaign in 2020 for copyright infringement over the use of his songs at rallies, said last week that the United States under Trump’s leadership had “lost its standing.”Also on Sunday, Young’s wife Daryl Hannah, the American actress, appeared as a presenter at the Academy Awards, where she flashed a peace sign and said to applause “Slava Ukraine,” or “Glory to Ukraine.”The Love Earth tour was scheduled to kick off in June with dates in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the United States and Canada.

Time is running short for Canada, Mexico and China to avert sweeping tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, with the levies due to take effect past midnight over what he deems an “unacceptable” flow of drugs.Trump unveiled — then paused — blanket tariffs on imports from his country’s major trading partners Canada and Mexico in February, accusing them of failing to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking.The halt is due to expire one minute after midnight Monday running into Tuesday.But sweeping levies of up to 25 percent will likely snarl supply chains for key sectors like automobiles and construction materials, risking a hike in consumer prices.This could complicate Trump’s efforts to fulfil his campaign promises of lowering the cost of living for households.Trump has also threatened a further 10-percent tariff on Chinese goods from Tuesday, piling on an additional 10-percent rate that has already taken effect.Beyond this week’s looming deadline, Trump fired another salvo Monday with word that tariffs on agricultural imports would come on April 2.He did not provide details and it was not immediately clear how such levies would interact with his other plans.”There’s no doubt that the administration is trying to solve the long-standing fentanyl and immigration challenges, and these tariffs have given the administration leverage as we’ve seen with the response so far by Canada and Mexico,” said Ryan Majerus, a former US trade official.Washington is also trying to rebalance trade ties, he told AFP.But using emergency economic powers to impose tariffs is novel, “and it remains to be seen how this will all play out in potential lawsuits,” warned Majerus, a partner at law firm King & Spalding.Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, told AFP that the group advised builders that “we could see a combined duty tariff rate of above 50 percent on Canadian lumber.”Trump’s tariffs on Canada are expected to pile on to other potential levies on lumber, he noted.”Softwood lumber futures prices have gone up eight percent in the last few weeks,” he added.While the United States also plans to expand forestry, Dietz said, prices are likely to rise in the short-run.Anecdotally, some builders expect they could face higher costs of $7,500 to $10,000 per newly-built single family home, he said.JPMorgan analysts warned Friday that Tuesday’s tariffs would “create a significant new headwind to economic activity” and boost consumer costs.They added that the planned levies on all three countries would lift the US effective tariff rate to nine percent — from 1.4 percent in 2017.- Up to Trump -Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that her country has contingency plans ready, whatever the decision Trump takes.”There is constant communication in different areas, both security and trade, and we will wait to see what happens,” Sheinbaum added.Over the weekend, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that even as Mexico and Canada have reasonably addressed Washington’s border concerns, they would still face tariffs.He took aim at illicit fentanyl entering the United States, saying its ingredients came from China.But Lutnick left the door open to potential changes in Trump’s tariff plans: “Exactly what they are, we’re going to leave that for the president and his team to negotiate.”Lutnick added that duties on China were likely set unless Beijing stopped making ingredients for fentanyl.While Washington has targeted China over chemicals for the drug, many of these components have legitimate medical uses, too — making prosecution tricky.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that less than one percent of the fentanyl and undocumented migrants that enter the United States come through the Canadian border.He said on Sunday that Ottawa would keep working to ensure there are no fresh levies this week.But he added that Canada would “have a strong, unequivocal and proportional response” if levies took effect.Trudeau’s government has taken a series of steps to address Trump’s concerns including a Can$1.3-billion ($901-million) plan to enhance border security.It has also named a fentanyl czar to coordinate efforts against the drug.Meanwhile, Mexico last week extradited some of its most notorious imprisoned drug lords to the United States in a bid to avert the sweeping duties.They included a cartel kingpin wanted for decades over the murder of a US undercover agent.