Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Palm Beach, Florida ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort, according to media reports, days after the US president-elect threatened the US neighbor with import tariffs after taking office.
The Canadian prime minister’s public itinerary does not include a planned visit to Florida. Neither Trudeau’s office nor Trump representatives immediately responded to requests for comment.
Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper, citing two unidentified sources, reported that Trudeau was in Florida to meet with Trump. Trump would have dinner with Trudeau on Friday night at Mar-a-Lago, CNN later reported, citing a source.
Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominique LeBlanc traveled with Trudeau, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Trump threatened on Monday to impose a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico until countries cracked down on drugs, especially fentanyl, and migrants crossing the border.
Employees from Mexico, Canada and Chinaalong with major industry groups, warned that the high tariffs threatened by Trump would hurt the economies of all countries involved, lead to a spike in inflation and hurt labor markets.
Any hit to the Canadian economy would add up Trudeau’s woes at a time when his popularity has plummeted in part due to the slowing economy and the rapid rise in the cost of living over the past few years. Polls show Trudeau’s Liberals will lose to the opposition Conservative Party in an election due by the end of October 2025.
Trudeau this week vowed to stand united against Trump’s threat of tariffsand convened a meeting with the premiers of all 10 Canadian provinces to discuss relations with the US.
Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer and sixth-largest producer of natural gas. Most of the 4 million barrels per day of crude oil exports go to the US.
Trump’s plan does not exempt crude oil from trade sanctions, two sources familiar with the plan told Reuters on Tuesday.
More than three-quarters of Canada’s C$592.7 billion ($423 billion) worth of exports went to the U.S. last year, and nearly 2 million Canadian jobs depend on trade.
A government source said Canada is considering possible retaliatory tariffs against the United States.
Some have suggested that Trump’s tariff threat could be a brag or an opening salvo in future trade talks. But Trudeau dismissed those views when he spoke to reporters earlier in the province of Prince Edward Island.
“Donald Trump, when he makes these kinds of statements, he plans to follow through on them,” Trudeau said. “There’s no arguing about that.”
With Agence France Presse
