The U.S. president-elect Donald Trump threatened to put a 25% tax on Canadian exports, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with him in Florida a few days later.
Trump described the discussion as “very productive” in a post on TruthSocial on Saturday afternoon, adding that the two leaders “discussed many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address, like the Fentanyl and Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration, Fair Trade Deals that do not jeopardize American Workers, and the massive Trade Deficit the U.S. has with Canada.”
“The United States will no longer stand by and watch as our citizens fall prey to the scourge of this drug epidemic, which is mostly the result of the drug cartels and the influx of fentanyl from China,” I made very plain. Too many deaths and too many hardships! “Prime Minister Trudeau has pledged to collaborate with us to put an end to this horrific destruction of American families,” the president-elect said in his message.
Thanking the president-elect for the meeting, Trudeau shared a picture of himself with Trump on social media Saturday afternoon.
“President Trump, thank you for dinner last night. Trudeau stated on X, “I’m excited about the work we can do together, once more.”
Trudeau reported that he and Trump had “an excellent conversation” early on Saturday. When reporters questioned the Canadian leader about whether the two had discussed tariffs, he left the West Palm hotel where he had spent the night.
On Friday night, Trudeau’s aircraft touched down at Palm Beach International Airport, which Trump uses to get to his Mar-a-Lago home.
Late Friday night, David McCormick, the senator-elect from Pennsylvania, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancé of Donald Trump Jr., shared pictures of Trump and Trudeau seated next to each other at a dinner table with other guests, including North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, on social media.
On Friday, the Canadian leader’s public schedule did not include a trip to Mar-a-Lago. Commentary from the Trump office was not immediately available.
The two leaders chatted on the phone earlier this week after Trump unveiled his tariff plan. Trudeau claimed that the pair had a “good call” and talked about “some of the challenges that we can work on together.”
Trump indicated last week on Truth Social that one of his first presidential actions will be to slap Mexico and Canada with a broad 25% tax.
“Until drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country, this tariff will remain in effect!” Trump stated in the article.
Trump’s declaration drew criticism from President Joe Biden, who called the remarks “counterproductive.”
When asked about his response by a reporter, Biden replied, “I hope he rethinks it, and I think it’s a counterproductive thing to do.”
With about 30% of trade volumes, Mexico and Canada rank second and third among U.S. suppliers of products, respectively, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Approximately 75% of Canada’s total exports go to the United States.
Paper goods, automobiles, dairy products, and construction materials like wood would all be impacted. The largest importer of commodities from China is the United States.
Throughout his campaign, Trump repeatedly pledged to impose additional tariffs, particularly on China. The prospect of high tariffs has drawn criticism from some economists who contend that consumers will eventually bear the expense.
