White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Sunday he was hopeful a dispute with Canada over accusations of the deadly fentanyl opioid entering the U.S. across its northern border could be resolved by the end of March.

Trump has cast Canada as a major importer of the synthetic opioid to the US. But the seizures at the northern border represent a tiny portion of the trafficking trade.

President Donald Trump teased that tariffs could climb higher over time while responding to Maria Bartiromo's questions about business leaders' desire for predictability.

Trump during his address to Congress said that Canada and Mexico ‘have allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before.’

White House adviser Kevin Hassett suggests a dispute with Canada over fentanyl smuggling into the U.S. might be resolved by March's end. The contention has led to potential tariffs from President Trump,

Canadian and Chinese officials say they were already helping reduce fentanyl smuggling. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said fentanyl crossing the northern border is "near zero."

President Trump's focus on fentanyl crossing into the U.S. from Canada is his latest 1% policy war, following his targeting of transgender people and USAID funding. Critics say he's stoking fear for political points.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke for about 50 minutes on Wednesday and discussed fentanyl smuggling and trade, said a Canadian source directly familiar with the conversation.

U.S. tariffs of 25% on imports of steel and aluminum will take effect as scheduled on Wednesday, Lutnick said.

However, the commerce secretary did acknowledge that the tariffs would lead to higher prices for US consumers on foreign-made goods

Peter Navarro, a senior trade adviser to President Trump, said Wednesday that Canada has been “taken over” by Mexican cartels as tensions between the countries are on the rise over

U.S. President Donald Trump maintains tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China as a lever against the fentanyl crisis. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick assures the measures aim to protect American lives and dismisses fears of a recession,