Trudeau meets Trump: Trade, security, and tariff tensions
The head of the Canadian government, Justin Trudeau, met with American President-elect Donald Trump. The meeting took place on Friday evening at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
30 November 2024 14:08
Justin Trudeau was the first leader from a G7 country to see Trump directly after the U.S. elections. The newspaper "Globe and Mail" reported on Saturday that Trudeau discussed trade between the two countries and border issues with Trump.
The visit began on Friday evening. According to the Canadian Press agency, from the Canadian side, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Katie Telford attended the dinner at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
Trudeau met with Trump to discuss the economy, the border, and fentanyl
Trump was accompanied by Canadian Premier with Trump. Formal dinner and discussions on various topics. Also present was Mike Waltz, the future national security advisor, along with his wife.
American television network ABC reported that Trudeau spoke to journalists waiting for him outside the hotel on Saturday, stating that his conversation with Trump was "excellent." However, he did not answer any further questions.
The Associated Press agency reported that - according to information it obtained - it was "the dinner that was said to last three hours," covering a wide range of topics. The discussion included trade, border security, fentanyl issues, defence, Ukraine, NATO, China, pipelines, and the G7 meeting to be held next year in Canada.
At the beginning of the week, Trump announced that his first economic decisions after the January inauguration would include raising tariffs on products from China. He also promised a 25-percent increase in tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, citing crises related to opioids and immigration.
Trudeau responded to these comments on Monday. He described his conversation with Trump as "excellent." Media reported that Trudeau informed Trump about the challenges Americans would face if tariffs were imposed on Canadian goods.
The media quoted Trudeau’s statement from Friday, before the meeting with Trump, that the threats from the American president-elect must be taken seriously. He added that Canada plans to navigate the next four years by adopting the same approach as during Trump's first term in the White House.
In January, Trudeau appointed a special team to prepare for a possible Trump victory. The Prime Minister's schedule, available on the website, does not mention the flight and meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.
