Amid threats from the president-elect to impose tariffs on Canadian imports, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday.
Trudeau flew to Palm Beach to visit Trump at his so-called “winter White House,” seeking to avoid the stiff tariffs that Trump has promised to enact via executive order on his first day in office. Trump alleges that Canada and Mexico are allowing undocumented immigrants and drugs to pour over their borders into the United States and intends to use the tariffs as a form of punishment for failing to stem the supposed movement of people and narcotics.
“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. This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” he wrote on Truth Social earlier this week. “Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”
The United States is a massive trading partner with Canada, receiving nearly all of the country’s crude oil exports in 2023. An unnamed source who spoke to the Associated Press said that Trudeau plans to have dinner with Trump, hoping to talk him down from 25% tariffs.
President Joe Biden also cautioned Trump against his planned tariffs, telling reporters on Thanksgiving that the move was “counterproductive.”
“We have an unusual situation in America. We’re surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and two allies: Mexico and Canada. And the last thing we need to do is begin to screw up those relationships,” he shared from Massachusetts. “I hope they reconsider.”