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Trump-Trudeau Meeting: Justin Trudeau met Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida amid tariff threat.
Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau (Reuters File Photo)
As threats of a potential trade war between the two neighbours loom, US President-elect Donald Trump is having dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday evening (local time) at Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, CNN reported citing a source.
According to the report, some members of Trudeau’s cabinet were also expected to join the dinner as Trump recently expressed border-related concerns and threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports starting on the first day of his administration.
Earlier, Trudeau was seen leaving a hotel in West Palm Beach to meet Trump at his resort.
According to Reuters, Trudeau’s public itinerary did not include a visit to Florida. Neither Trudeau’s office nor Trump’s representatives commented on the resort meeting.
Florida Representative Mike Waltz, a pick for Trump’s national security adviser, and Trump transition co-chair Howard Lutnick, his Commerce secretary pick, were also present at the table alongside their spouses, CNN reported citing a source.
Katie Telford, Chief of Staff to Trudeau, and Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, were in attendance, the report added.
US-Canada Trade War On Cards?
However, the meeting is significant as it comes weeks before Trump assumes office at the White House, and days after he vowed huge tariff on Canadian imports.
On Monday, Trump threatened to slap a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico until the two countries acted on drugs and illegal migrants crossing over the borders with the US. As a result, Trudeau called a meeting with the premiers of all 10 Canadian provinces to discuss US relations.
“One of the things that is really important to understand is that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said while speaking to the reporters on Friday morning.
“Our responsibility is to point out that in this way he would be actually not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States; he’d actually be raising prices for American citizens as well and hurting American industry and businesses,” he added.
Trudeau Expresses Hope About Working Together With Trump
Trudeau expressed hope that he and Trump would work together to address some of the concerns and “respond to some of the issues”.
According to the CNN report, Trump and Trudeau had a brief call after the tariff announcement, in which the two leaders discussed border security and trade.
Earlier this month, Trudeau congratulated Trump on the presidential poll victory while striking a diplomatic tone.
“The friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world. I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations,” Trudeau had said.
However, the Trudeau government is bracing for an expected turbulent phase in its election year in 2025.
In January this year, Trudeau reportedly told senior Liberals that a second Trump tenure would be “a magnitude more challenging” than his first, according to a Reuters report.
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
