Canadian ministers head to Florida for talks with incoming Trump administration: report
Two top Canadian ministers headed to President-elect Trump's home in Florida on Thursday to talk about border security and trade as the incoming president's inauguration day nears.
Two senior Canadian officials are set to meet with U.S. President-elect Trump’s team in Florida this week to address border security and trade concerns ahead of his inauguration.
Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly will visit Palm Beach, Florida, to engage with Trump’s incoming "border czar," Tom Homan, on plans to bolster border measures, a spokesperson for LeBlanc confirmed. The discussions follow a prior meeting between Prime Minister Trudeau and Trump at Mar-a-Lago and a recent call between Canadian ministers and Homan.
Key agenda items include tackling fentanyl trafficking, addressing illegal migration, and presenting Canada’s Border Plan to mitigate Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. LeBlanc and Joly will emphasize the mutual harm such tariffs could inflict on both economies, given Canada’s deep trade ties with the U.S.
Trump has hinted at tariffs unless Canada curbs migrant and fentanyl flows, even mocking Prime Minister Trudeau as "Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada." In a bold suggestion, he proposed Canada consider statehood as an alternative to economic decline from tariffs.
Canada, heavily integrated with the U.S. economy, views these threats with concern. U.S. imports of Canadian crude oil and electricity are substantial, with daily cross-border trade totaling $2.7 billion, making Canada the top export destination for 36 U.S. states.