Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Florida on Friday for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump, just days after Trump threatened to impose steep tariffs on Canadian imports.
Trudeau, 52, arrived at Palm Beach International Airport aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force plane around 5:30 p.m. and is scheduled to dine with Trump, 78, at the Mar-a-Lago estate, according to CBC News and the Associated Press reports. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc accompanied Trudeau on the trip.
Neither Trudeau’s office nor Trump’s transition team immediately responded to requests for comment on the visit.
Trump’s Tariff Threats
On Monday, Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico unless both countries take more decisive action against illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States and its ridiculous Open Borders,” Trump said in a statement. He vowed the tariffs would remain in place until the influx of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, and undocumented immigrants cease.
Trudeau Responds
Following Trump’s remarks, Trudeau spoke with him by phone and described the conversation as “a good call.”
“We talked about … how the intense and effective connections between our two countries flow back and forth. We talked about some of the challenges we can work on together,” Trudeau said.
On Wednesday, Trudeau convened a meeting with the premiers of Canada’s ten provinces to discuss strategies for dealing with U.S. relations in light of Trump’s threats.
Broader Trade Strategy
Trump’s threats against Canada are part of a broader strategy targeting trade and border policies with other countries. The president-elect has also promised to levy tariffs on Mexico and China over concerns about border security and drug trafficking.
Trump claimed Wednesday that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum contacted him and agreed to tighten migration controls through Mexico to reduce the flow of migrants into the United States.
Trudeau and Trump’s meeting at Mar-a-Lago will likely focus on resolving these trade tensions and maintaining the close economic ties between Canada and the U.S.
