Trudeau meets Trump to talk trade amid tariff threat

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with US President-elect Donald Trump at the US president-elect's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday.

The meeting came days after Trump said he would slap a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, until both countries clamped down on drugs, particularly fentanyl, and illegal migrants crossing their borders with the US.

Trump's threat sparked worries in Canada, whose economy is deeply intertwined with that of the US.

Over three-quarters of Canadian exports, worth $423 billion (€400 billion), went to the United States last year. And about 2 million Canadian jobs are dependent on trade.

Economists say imposing hefty tariffs would harm the economies of all countries involved.

Tricky time for Trudeau

The threat of US tariffs comes at a time when Canada's economy is already slowing. That, coupled with the rising cost of living, has already hit Trudeau's popularity.

A general election must be held in the country by late October 2025 and polls show the premier's party is lagging behind the opposition Conservative party.

Trudeau this week pledged to stay united against Trump's tariffs threat.

He called a meeting with the premiers of all 10 Canadian provinces to discuss US relations.

While some say Trump's tariff threat is just a bargaining tactic, Trudeau rejected those views.

"It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There's no question about it," Trudeau said.

sri/ab (Reuters, AFP)