An individual familiar with details of Friday night’s swiftly arranged leadership meeting said it was a “positive, wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours.” The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said topics include trade, border security, fentanyl, defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Middle East and pipelines, in addition to the Group meeting The Seven (G7), to be held next 12 months in Canada.
The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico unless those countries stop what he calls the flow of medicine and migrants across their borders. He announced a 25 percent tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, which might be one in every of his first executive orders when he takes office in January.
As he left his hotel in West Palm Beach, Trudeau stopped for a moment to reply a reporter’s query about the dinner meeting, saying it was a “great conversation.” Trump’s transition team didn’t reply to questions on the leaders’ discussions.
Trump once called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest” during his first term as president, but the prime minister was the first G7 leader to go to Trump since the November 5 election.
“Tariffs are a key issue for Canada and a bold move was needed. It may have been a risk, but it was worth taking” – Daniel Beland, professor of political science at McGill University in Montreal. Those attending the dinner included Howard Lutnick, Trump’s pick for secretary of commerce; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is anticipated to steer the Department of the Interior; and Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick to be his national security adviser. Trudeau was accompanied by Canadian Public Security Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford, Trudeau’s chief of staff.
Trudeau said earlier on Friday that he would resolve the tariff issue by talking to Trump.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said a day earlier after speaking with Trump that she was confident the tariff war with the United States could be averted.
Trudeau said Trump was elected because he promised to lower grocery prices, but now he is talking about adding 25 per cent to the cost of all kinds of produce, including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada.
“It is essential to know that when Donald Trump makes statements like this, he plans to implement them. There’s little doubt about it,” Trudeau said before leaving for Florida.
“It is our responsibility to indicate that not only wouldn’t it hurt Canadians who work so well with the United States, nevertheless it would actually raise prices for American residents as well and hurt American industry and business,” he added.
Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, Trump “doesn’t should be convinced that recent tariffs on Canadian products is not going to be in the US interest. He knows it, but he cannot say it because it might detract from what he has said publicly. His goal is to project a picture that triggers motion when he speaks.
These tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted that they were capable of successfully renegotiate the deal, which he called a “win-win situation for both countries.”
Trump threatened tariffs on Monday, citing an influx of migrants entering the country illegally, although the numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison to those at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump also talked about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, although seizures at the Canadian border are few in comparison with the Mexican border.
Canadian officials say it’s unfair to lump Canada in with Mexico, but they are saying they’re willing to make recent investments in border security.
When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their very own. For example, Canada announced the imposition of billions of dollars in recent tariffs on the United States in 2018 in response to recent taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum.
Canada is the fundamental export destination for 36 US states. Nearly C$3.6 billion ($2.7 billion) price of products and services cross the border day-after-day.
