Canada’s new Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly will meet with aides of US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida to discuss the risks of imposing new trade duties, according to Reuters.
Trump threatened to impose duties on imports from Canada when returning to the White House in January if the country did not reduce the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the US.
Friday’s meeting will focus on Canada’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration, as well as “the negative impacts that the imposition of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods would have on both Canada and the United States.”
The meeting comes amid Trump’s active foreign policy push. He recently announced US intentions to buy Greenland and regain control over the Panama Canal. On Christmas Day, he also referred to the Canadian Prime Minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada,” recalling the proposal for Canada to become the 51st state of the US.
Meanwhile, Trudeau faces mounting pressure from lawmakers in his party demanding his resignation. He flew to Florida in late November to meet with Trump after the Republican first promised to impose new duties on Canada.
