Canadian Trudeau says he had a “great conversation” with Trump in Florida after the tariff threat

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that he had a “great conversation.” Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club after threats from the president-elect impose significant tariffs regarding two of America’s leading trading partners raised the alarm Ottawa AND Mexico.

As Trudeau returned to Canada from Florida, it was unclear whether the conversation had allayed Trump’s concerns.

A person familiar with details of Friday night’s hastily arranged leadership meeting said it was a “positive, wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours.” The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said topics include trade, border security, fentanyl, defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Middle East and pipelines, as well as the group’s meeting Seven in Canada next year.

The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico unless those countries stop what he calls the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. He announced the imposition of a 25% tax on all products entry into the USA from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders after taking office in January.

As he left his hotel in West Palm Beach, Trudeau stopped for a moment to answer a reporter’s question about the dinner meeting, saying it was a “great conversation.” Trump’s transition team did not respond to questions about the leaders’ discussions.

Trump was once called Trudeau during his first term as president “weak” and “dishonest”, but the prime minister was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the November 5 election.

“Tariffs are a key issue for Canada and a bold move was needed. It may have been a risk, but it was worth taking” – Daniel Béland, professor of political science at McGill University in Montreal.

Those attending the dinner included Howard Lutnick, Trump’s pick for secretary of commerce; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is expected to lead the Department of the Interior; and Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick to be his national security adviser. Trudeau was accompanied by Canadian Public Security Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford, Trudeau’s chief of staff.

Trudeau said earlier on Friday that he would resolve the tariff issue by talking to Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said a day earlier after speaking with Trump that she was confident tariff war with the United States will be averted.

Trudeau said Trump was elected because he promised to lower the cost of groceries, but now he is talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of produce, including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada.

“It is important to understand that when Donald Trump makes statements like this, he plans to follow them. There’s no doubt about it,” Trudeau said before leaving for Florida.

“It is our responsibility to point out that not only would it hurt Canadians who work so well with the United States, but it would actually raise prices for American citizens as well and hurt American industry and business,” he added.

Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, Trump “does not need to be convinced that new tariffs on Canadian products will not be in the US interest. He knows it, but he can’t say it because it would detract from what he has said publicly. His goal is to create an image that evokes action when he speaks.

These tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted that they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he called a “win-win situation for both countries.”

Trump threatened tariffs on Monday, citing an influx of migrants entering the country illegally, even though the numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison to those at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump also talked about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, although seizures at the Canadian border are few compared to the Mexican border.

Canadian officials say it’s unfair to lump Canada in with Mexico, but they say they are willing to make new investments in border security.

When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for example, announced billions of new responsibilities in 2018 v. US in response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum.

Canada is the main export destination for 36 US states. Every day, nearly $3.6 billion ($2.7 billion) worth of Canadian goods and services cross the border.

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Gillies reported from Toronto.