After President-elect Donald Trump announced his plan to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, on Friday Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to Florida to have dinner with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club. This meeting comes to address the potential trade tensions sparked by Trump’s tariff threats, which he has linked to the flow of drugs and migrants across the US borders with Canada and Mexico.
Notably, the meeting lasted three hours and was described as ‘positive and wide-ranging. Topics included trade, border security, fentanyl, defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, and pipelines. Trudeau said earlier that he would resolve the tariff issue through ‘constructive conversations’ with Trump. During the meeting, Trump was joined by key personalities, including Howard Lutnick, his nominee for commerce secretary, and other members of his transition team. Trudeau was accompanied by Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and his chief of staff, Katie Telford.
Trudeau, who earlier called the proposed tariffs harmful, emphasised their impact on both Canadian and American economies. “Trump’s statement about adding 25% to product costs will harm Canadians and Americans alike,” Trudeau said. Canada is preparing potential retaliatory tariffs but hopes to avoid such measures through dialogue, according to the media reports. Canada remains a top trading partner for the US, with over $2.7 billion in goods crossing the border daily.
Nearly 77% of Canada’s exports goes to US.Canada remains the largest US trade partner, supplying critical resources like oil, electricity, and metals. However, officials warn retaliatory tariffs may escalate if Trump follows through. Trudeau said, “These actions hurt both Americans and Canadians alike”. Although Trump once called Trudeau ‘weak’ and ‘dishonest’ during his first term, ties between the two countries have remained among the closest in the world. Earlier, Trump announced that, starting from his first day in the oval office, he will impose hefty tariffs on goods coming from China, Mexico, and Canada. According to his plan, a 10% tariff will be charged on all Chinese imports, while goods from Mexico and Canada will face a 25% tariff.
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