President-elect Donald J. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian exports unless the country stops the flow of migrants and fentanyl to the U.S.The New York Times reports that President-elect Donald J. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian exports if the country does not take action to stop the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the United States. In response, two top Canadian ministers met with members of Mr. Trump’s circle in Florida on Friday to discuss a border security plan. The meeting was seen as an attempt to build on previous discussions between Mr. Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as a recent telephone conversation between members of Mr. Trudeau’s cabinet and Thomas D. Homan, Mr. Trump’s designated border czar.
The Canadian ministers, Mélanie Joly and Dominic LeBlanc, met with Howard Lutnick, Mr. Trump’s choice for commerce secretary, and former Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, the president-elect’s pick to run the Interior Department and coordinate energy policy. The goal of the meeting was to find a solution that would prevent Mr. Trump from imposing economically damaging tariffs on Canadian imports.
Mr. Trump has stated that he will impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada if the country does not address the issues of border security and the trade deficit. However, some have speculated that the tariff plan may be more about Mr. Trump’s desire to eliminate the $50 billion trade deficit with Canada, with a focus on oil and gas exports. Without these exports, the United States generally has a trade surplus with Canada.
According to Jean-Sébastien Comeau, a spokesman for Mr. LeBlanc, the meeting at Mar-a-Lago was positive and productive, and the two nominees agreed to relay information to President Trump. However, the ministers returned home without any assurances from Mr. Trump’s team. The potential imposition of tariffs on Canadian imports could have a devastating impact on Canada’s economy, which heavily relies on exports to the United States.
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