Canada’s Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly are set to meet with aides of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Florida today, Friday, to discuss the looming threat of new tariffs on Canadian imports.
Trump has warned of imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian goods when he returns to the White House in January unless Canada curbs the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the U.S.
In a statement on Thursday, LeBlanc’s office emphasized the meeting’s goal of highlighting the potential negative impacts of such tariffs on both the Canadian and U.S. economies. The discussions will also focus on Canada’s ongoing efforts to combat fentanyl smuggling and illegal migration.
The meeting takes place as Trump continues to downplay Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media. On Christmas Day, Trump mockingly referred to Trudeau as the “Governor of Canada” and hinted again that Canada has become “America’s 51st state.”
