Trump's tariffs threat looms over meeting with Canadian ministers at Mar-a-Lago
Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick and Doug Burgum, Trump's picks to the lead the departments of commerce and interior, respectively.
High-ranking Canadian officials met with top aides to Donald Trump on Friday to discuss border security and the potential impact of tariffs that the president-elect has threatened to impose when he takes office next month.
Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly traveled to Mar-a-Lago for a meeting with Howard Lutnick and Doug Burgum, Trump’s picks to the lead the departments of Commerce and the Interior, respectively.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Finance Ministry said the meeting was “positive” and “productive,” and served as a follow-up to Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s dinner last month after Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods.
“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,” said spokesperson Jean-Sébastien Comeau in a statement.
The meeting did not appear to change things on the tariff front, though Lutnick and Burgum agreed to “relay information” to Trump, according to Comeau.
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