President-elect Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau mentioned commerce, border safety, and the drug disaster throughout a Mar-a-Lago assembly.
President-elect Donald Trump stated he had a “very productive” assembly with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Florida on Friday, emphasizing a necessity for america and Canada to work collectively to handle issues similar to border safety, the drug disaster, and commerce imbalances. Trudeau described the discussions as “glorious” and earlier confused the necessity for dialogue to resolve problems with concern to the incoming administration.
The Nov. 29 assembly at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property marked an early take a look at of the connection between the president-elect and one among America’s closest allies as tensions rose over Trump’s risk to impose a 25 % tariff on all imports from Canada except the nation does extra to cease the stream of medication and unlawful immigrants throughout the border into america.
The dinner at Trump’s property in Palm Seaside, which reportedly lasted three hours, introduced collectively senior Canadian officers and Trump’s nominees for a number of key posts within the incoming administration.
On the Canadian facet, Minister of Public Security Dominic Leblanc, in addition to Trudeau’s chief of workers Katie Telford and deputy chief of workers Brian Clow have been in attendance.
Trump was joined by his nominee for secretary of the inside North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and his spouse, commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick and his spouse, nationwide safety adviser nominee Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) and his spouse. Senator-elect Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) and his spouse have been additionally in attendance.
Trudeau advised reporters on Saturday that an “glorious dialog” unfolded, whereas Trump stated they mentioned a wide-ranging agenda, together with Arctic sovereignty, vitality, unlawful immigration, and commerce issues.
Trump wrote concerning the fentanyl disaster on Fact Social. “An excessive amount of loss of life and hardship! Prime Minister Trudeau has made a dedication to work with us to finish this horrible devastation of U.S. households..”
The backdrop for the assembly was Trump’s current announcement that he plans to impose a 25 % tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico except the 2 international locations cease unlawful border crossings and the stream of illicit medication similar to fentanyl into america.
At a press convention on Friday earlier than the Mar-a-Lago assembly, Trudeau stated that Trump’s tariff risk must be taken critically and that he hopes to resolve the matter via dialogue.
“One of many issues that’s actually essential to know is that … Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out,” Trudeau stated. “There’s no query about it.”
Trudeau added that he appeared ahead to having “a number of nice conversations with president-elect Trump as we transfer ahead on standing up for good jobs on each side of the borders.”
Canadian officers have pushed again in opposition to being grouped with Mexico on border safety points, noting that the variety of unlawful crossings and drug seizures on the U.S.–Canada border is much decrease than on the southern border.
Canada is the main export vacation spot for 36 U.S. states, with roughly $2.7 billion in items and providers exchanged every day throughout the border.