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Trump team meeting with Trudeau’s ministers sees little movement on tariffs

By Ross O'Keefe December 28, 2024 | updated 7 months ago

Canada‘s hopes that talks with the Trump administration to reduce a proposed 25% tariff on the country’s exports have been dashed so far, despite another prominent meeting between the two countries.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc met with Trump secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick and secretary of the interior Doug Burgum on Friday at Mar-a-Lago. They said the meeting was “productive” but that the tariff threat remains.

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“Both ministers outlined the measures in Canada’s border plan and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives,” LeBlanc’s spokesman Jean-Sébastien Comeau told CBC News.

The two said discussions between the countries will continue in the coming weeks as Canada endeavors to dodge tariffs that will likely damage its economy. President-elect Donald Trump has announced lans to enforce the tariffs beginning on Jan. 20, until the country can prove it can halt the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump earlier this month but the meeting was unsuccessful in forcing any significant agreement. In the aftermath, Trump has repeatedly joked that Trudeau is the “governor” of Canada and that the nation should be the “51st state.”

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Trump argues the United States is subsidizing Canada with a $100 billion a year trade deficit and that if “we’re going to subsidize them, let them become a state.” His rhetoric that Canada should join the U.S. could be a pressure campaign on the nation to either follow his immigration demands or give in completely.

Trudeau also saw some fallout after the meeting, which critics said looked too friendly given Trump’s threats. Since then, his deputy prime minister has stepped down from his government and he’s seeing record low popularity.

The trade deficit was also a topic of conversation in the most recent meeting between the top officials. The trade deficit, according to CBC, is largely due to Canada’s large petroleum exports. The United States imported more crude oil from Canada in 2023 than from all other countries combined.

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LeBlanc previously said he would meet with Trump border czar Tom Homan “after Christmas” to present a plan to secure their shared border. That meeting, likely critical, has not happened yet. No border concessions will likely mean the tariff threat stays alive.

The Washington Examiner reached out to LeBlanc and Joly, but received no response.

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