Trump discussed border, trade with Canada’s Trudeau after pledging steep tariffs

OTTAWA – US President-elect Donald Trump said on Nov 30 that he had a “very productive” meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in which they discussed border-related issues and other topics, including trade, energy and the Arctic.

Mr Trudeau flew to Florida on the evening of Nov 29 and

had dinner with Trump

at his Mar-a-Lago residence, days after the Republican President-elect

pledged to impose tariffs

on Canadian and Mexican imports after his inauguration in January.

That pledge has raised fears of a trade war between the US and two of its biggest trading partners.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has warned that Trump’s tariff plan would have dire consequences for both countries and suggested possible retaliation following his threat of across-the-board 25 per cent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports.

Trump wants to use tariffs as a tool to get Mexico and Canada to help stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, particularly the deadly opioid fentanyl, and also migrants crossing illegally into the US.

“We discussed many important topics that will require both countries to work together to address, like the Fentanyl and drug crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of illegal immigration, fair trade deals that do not jeopardise American workers and the massive trade deficit the US has with Canada,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“Trudeau has made a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation of US families,” he added.

Mr Trudeau, in a post on social media platform X on Nov 30, said he looked forward to the two working together.

“Thanks for dinner last night, president Trump. I look forward to the work we can do together, again,” the Canadian leader said.

Mr Trudeau’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about his meeting with Trump.

A Canadian government official – speaking on the condition of anonymity – told Reuters that it was a positive, wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours.

In a separate post, Trump called on the so-called Brics countries to commit to not creating a new currency or supporting another currency over the US dollar.

If those countries do so, they will face “100 per cent tariffs”, Trump said.

Brics refers to the original members of the intergovernmental group of economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The group also includes Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump wrote: “We require a commitment from these countries that they will neither create a new Brics currency, nor back any other currency to replace the mighty US dollar or, they will face 100 per cent tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful US economy.” REUTERS