Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Florida to have dinner with President-elect Donald Trump following Trump’s threats to impose drastic tariffs on Canadian products.

At the dinner, Trump and Trudeau were joined by Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, Mike Waltz, pick by Trump to be his national security adviser, and wives of all three men, according to a person familiar with the dinner plans who was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity.

Also at the dinner, the person said, were David McCormick, just-elected U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, and his wife Dina Powell, a former deputy national security adviser under Trump, as well as Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc , and Katie Telford, Trudeau’s CEO. staff.

Trump threatens tariffs

Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if those countries don’t stop what he calls the flow of drugs and migrants across the southern and northern borders.

Trump threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the United States from Canada and Mexico in one of his first executive orders.

He threatened tariffs Monday while railing against the influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison at the southern border.

The U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 apprehensions at the Mexican border in October alone – and 23,721 apprehensions at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024.

Trump also denounced fentanyl coming from Mexico and Canada, although seizures at the Canadian border are few compared to the Mexican border. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared to 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.

FILE – US President Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a meeting at Winfield House, London, December 3, 2019. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

Trudeau responds to Trump

Trudeau said earlier Friday that he would resolve the tariff issue by talking with Trump.

“We will work together to address some of the concerns,” Trudeau told reporters on Prince Edward Island, in Atlantic Canada. “But at the end of the day, it’s going to be a lot of really constructive conversations with President Trump that I’m going to have that will keep us moving forward on the right path for all Canadians.”

Trudeau said Trump was elected because he promised to lower the cost of groceries, but now he’s talking about adding 25 per cent to the cost of all kinds of produce, including Island potatoes -of Prince Edward.

“It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes such statements, intends to implement them. There is no doubt about that,” Trudeau said.

“Our responsibility is to emphasize that it would not only harm Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but it would also raise prices for American citizens and harm American industry and businesses.” , he added.

These tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade deal negotiated by Trump’s team during his first term. Trudeau stressed that they managed to renegotiate the agreement, which he called a “win-win” for both countries.

“We can work together like we have done before,” Trudeau said.

Canada could impose its own tariffs

Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain products from the United States if Trump follows through on his threat to impose drastic tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official told the Associated Press.

A government official said Canada was preparing for all eventualities and had started thinking about where to target tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed that no decision had been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Canada is the primary export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly C$3.6 billion (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border every day.

About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports come from Canada and 85% of U.S. electricity imports come from Canada.

Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the United States and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon desires and invests in for national security.

Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world and 77% of its exports go to the United States.