Canadian foreign, finance ministers to meet Trump team on tariffs
2 Min Read
The ministers will brief Trump's team on Canada's new CAN$1-billion ($694 million) border security plan, devised in response to the tariff threat.
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Former President Donald Trump, right, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, speak together as they depart a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on February 13, 2017. (AP)
Key members of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet traveled to Florida on Thursday for discussions with representatives of US President-elect Donald Trump, as Ottawa seeks to prevent a potentially catastrophic trade war.
Newly appointed Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly traveled to Palm Beach, Florida, "to meet with officials from the incoming Trump administration," according to a statement from Leblanc's spokesman, Jean-Sebastien Comeau, sent to AFP.
Trump has pledged to impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada when he takes office next month. In contrast, Trudeau has vowed to take retaliatory action if Trump follows through on his commitment, though he has not outlined specific measures.
Trump stated that the tariffs would stay in effect until Canada takes action on the flow of undocumented migrants and the drug fentanyl into the United States.
The meetings scheduled for Friday will "focus on Canada's efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration," according to the statement.
The ministers will brief Trump's team on Canada's new CAN$1-billion ($694 million) border security plan, devised in response to the tariff threat.
Read next: Trump told Trudeau Canada should become 51st US state amid tariffs row
The meeting will also cover "the negative impacts that the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods would have on both Canada and the United States," the statement added. However, it did not specify which US officials the Canadian representatives would be meeting with.
Trudeau's envoys traveled to Florida as his government faced an intensifying crisis.
Leblanc was appointed finance minister earlier this month following the unexpected resignation of Chrystia Freeland, who also served as deputy prime minister.
In a harsh resignation letter, Freeland criticized Trudeau for prioritizing short-term handouts to voters over preparing Canada's finances to face the potential impact of Trump's tariffs.
As his Liberal government lags significantly behind the Conservatives in the polls, some of Trudeau's former allies in parliament have called for his resignation.
Canadian media have identified Joly and Leblanc as potential candidates to lead the Liberal Party if Trudeau resigns.
