On Saturday, President Trump enacted a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico as well as tariffs on imports from China at 10%. Canada responded soon after with tariffs on their own on some imports from the United States, while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. only referred to enacting “Plan B” in her addressing the actions by Trump.

The planned tariffs on imports from Mexico are now paused as Mexican President Sheinbaum has agreed to supply 10,000 Mexican soldiers on the border. In 2019, Mexico sent 15,000 troops to its border and in 2021, Mexico sent 10,000 to the border.

Not mentioned in the US account of the negotiation is President Trump’s agreement that the U.S. had committed to stop the flow of guns into Mexico among other things.

Trump has claimed the tariffs are in response due to “illegal immigration” and the flow of fentanyl across the border.

The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, in 2023 reported that 89% of convicted fentanyl traffickers in in 2022 were U.S. citizens. When it comes to smuggling, 99% of the smugglers are U.S. citizens. In 2023 93% of seizures occurred at legal crossing points, no illegal immigration routes. Less than 0.009% of people arrested by the Border Patrol during illegal crossing possessed any fentanyl.

The tariffs are impacting all industries including comics and tabletop games. Both rely heavily on printing in China, Mexico, and Canada and increased costs and delays would leave massive damage and likely force the closure of numerous publishers. The comic industry is currently also facing issues with its largest distributor who recently filed Chapter 11 and owes tens of millions to its creditors.