Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly are in Florida to meet with officials from President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
A statement from LeBlanc’s office says the duo traveled to Palm Beach, where they planned to use those conversations to highlight “Canada’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration and the measures outlined in Canada’s Border Plan.”
Spokesperson Jean-Sébastien Comeau says they will also emphasize the negative impacts of a potential 25 per cent tariff on Canadian products, both in Canada and the United States.
Trump has threatened 25 per cent tariffs against Canada, sparking debates at both the federal and provincial levels about how best to deal with the incoming Trump administration.
Since winning the presidential election in November, Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the “51st state” and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Canada’s “governor.”
Comeau says ministers “hope to build on discussions that took place when the prime minister met with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month,” as well as a recent call ministers had with the “border czar.” ” by Trump, Tom Homan. .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024.
