Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still unsure if tariffs are off after a lengthy meeting with United States President-elect Donald Trump. According to reports, the meeting finished without Trump specifically saying he would hand off every tariff move he intended to make after being sworn in as president next year.
Donald Trump has been vocal about his intentions to levy tariffs on specific countries, especially those with trading agreements with the country. Although Trump views the meeting as ‘productive’, he remains unsold on the idea of abandoning his tariff plans. Canada, on the other hand, has been lumped into the same category as countries like Mexico due to the increased flow of migrants and drugs into the United States.
Justin Trudeau and Trump confirms positive conversations
After the meeting between both leaders, positive intonations were echoed from both parties. While Trudeau described their conversation as ‘excellent’, Donald Trump said in a lengthy post on Trust Social that they discussed several topics they need to cooperate to tackle. Trump mentioned that one of the issues that needs to be addressed is fentanyl and the drug cartel that had destroyed many lives after entering the country illegally.
Trump also confirmed they discussed fair trade deals that will not harm the American working population and the United States trade deficit with its supporters in the North. Trump revealed that Trudeau showed his commitment to helping the United States end the fentanyl menace that had destroyed many families. He said the Prime Minister assured him that the country will end the movement of fentanyl through its border into America.
Donald Trump had planned a 25% tax on products entering the country’s borders from Canada and Mexico, a law that will take effect when he assumes office. The fentanyl scourge, without a doubt, has been America’s bane, with the country’s agents seizing 43 pounds of the product at the Canadian border. In addition, it also seized 21,100 pounds of the banned product at Mexico’s border.
Detailing immigration numbers, border patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October while 23,731 individuals were arrested at the Canadian border from October 2023 to September 2024. However, Canadian officials mentioned new investments in security at its border to prevent these issues from happening.
Trudeau details the implications of Trump’s tariff posts
According to an anonymous source with inside knowledge, Justin Trudeau initiated the meeting with Trump following the latter’s post concerning Tariffs on Monday. The source mentioned that officials in other countries are interested in how the meeting was arranged, asking for advice. During the dinner, which sources said lasted about three hours, the officials talked about different topics including energy, and trade.
The statement from Trudeau’s office mentioned productive discussions. Although Trump had bad words for the Canadian Prime Minister during his first tenure, Trudeau was the first to congratulate him. Before the meeting, Trudeau noted that Trump did not talk about tariffs during his campaign but suddenly wants to add 25% to the costs of goods coming into the country.
He said that he feels Trump is serious about the tariff, noting that if the American president-elect says he wants to do something, nothing is stopping him. However, he pointed out that the move could hurt Americans and Canadians. “Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would be raising prices for American citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he said.
If Trump goes ahead with the Tariff move, it could prove costly, destroying the trade pact both countries signed during his first term in office. However, Trudeau mentioned that they were able to renegotiate a deal, saying it was a win for both countries.
During his first spell as president, Trump imposed higher tariffs and other countries cranked up theirs too. Canada announced billions in new duties against America in response to taxes on steel and aluminum from the country. Canada is the top export destination for most of the US states, accounting for $2.7 billion worth of goods every day. Canada is trade-dependent, with 77% of its goods being moved into the United States.
