Report: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Meets with Trump After Threat of 25% Tariff

Liberal Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday evening to meet with President-elect Donald Trump, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.

Senior government sources told the outlet Trudeau’s plane landed at the Palm Beach International Airport on Friday. Unnamed sources said Trudeau would dine with Trump at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate and leave Florida the following morning. Trudeau is accompanied by Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, sources said. 

Trudeau’s visit comes after Trump said on Monday that he plans to impose a 25 percent tariff until Mexico and Canada shut down their inflows of migrants and deadly drugs.

“As everyone is aware, thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before. Right now a Caravan coming from Mexico, composed of thousands of people, seems to be unstoppable in its quest to come through our currently Open Border,” Trump said.

“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” he added. “This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”

Sources told CBC that Trudeau and Trump spoke on the phone for about ten minutes on Monday evening to discuss trade and border security. Trudeau told the press on Tuesday morning that the two had a “good call.” He also held a virtual meeting with Canada’s premiers on Wednesday evening to discuss Trump’s vow to impose a huge tariff, according to the report.

“We obviously talked about … how the intense and effective connections between our two countries flow back and forth. We talked about some of the challenges we can work on together,” Trudeau told reporters.

Leftist Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo held a press conference responding to the message on Tuesday in which she showed reporters a letter she sent Trump. In it, Sheinbaum threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs and accused America of being the source of the migration and fentanyl problems. 

Trump announced on Wednesday that Sheinbaum agreed to halt migration into the United States and called their talk a “wonderful conversation.” 

“Just had a wonderful conversation with the new President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border,” he said.

“We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also, U.S. consumption of these drugs. It was a very productive conversation!” he added.