Trump says he had productive meeting with Trudeau amid stiff tariff threat

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump called his meeting with Justin Trudeau productive and said the prime minister made a commitment to work with the United States to end the drug crisis amid the threat of stiff tariffs.

“We discussed many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address, like the Fentanyl and Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration, Fair Trade Deals that do not jeopardize American Workers, and the massive Trade Deficit the U.S. has with Canada,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Saturday.

Trudeau flew to Florida Friday evening to attend a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump’s transition team is based.

The in-person meeting came at the end of a rocky week in which Trump threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico, unless the two countries stop illegal border crossings and prevent illicit drugs from entering the United States.

Trudeau thanked Trump for the dinner in a post on social media on Saturday.

“I look forward to the work we can do together, again,” Trudeau said in the post that included a picture of the two leaders sitting at a table and smiling together.

Trump said he and Trudeau discussed the drug crisis and the president-elect made it “very clear that the United States will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims” of the drug epidemic, which he attributed to cartels and fentanyl coming from China.

“Prime Minister Trudeau has made a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation of U.S. Families,” Trump posted.

Trump’s post did not directly mention tariffs and it’s unclear whether the prime minister’s visit has alleviated his concerns about the border.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said the leaders “shared a productive wide-ranging discussion” centred on collaboration and strengthening the bilateral relationship.

“As Canada’s closest friend and ally, the United States is our key partner, and we are committed to working together in the interests of Canadians and Americans,” the statement said.

Trudeau had a notably rocky relationship with the Republican leader during the first Trump administration. However, the prime minister was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election.

Trudeau’s invitation to Mar-a-Lago says a lot about the working relationship, a senior government source said, speaking on background.

The dinner lasted more than three hours. Sources said Trudeau and Trump discussed trade, border security, Ukraine, NATO, icebreakers, the Middle East and the Group of Seven meeting in Alberta next year. They also talked about energy projects, including the Keystone Pipeline, Line 5, Trans Mountain Pipeline, and other topics related to liquefied natural gas.

It was described as a friendly and welcoming dinner.

Trump’s social media post about the meeting with Trudeau appeared much more collaborative in tone than his response to a phone call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum earlier this week after which he claimed a tariff victory.

Trump wrote Wednesday that Sheinbaum had agreed to stop unauthorized migration across the border into the United States, “effectively closing our Southern Border.”

The Mexican president said that it was an “excellent” conversation but countered that her country was already doing its part.

“We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples,” Sheinbaum said.

Trump’s return to the White House has brought concern to America’s closest neighbours. He has long used the threat of import taxes to pressure other countries to do his bidding, saying last summer that “the most beautiful word in the dictionary is ‘tariff.’”

The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement is up for review in 2026 and experts suspect this week’s tariff announcement is a negotiating tactic.

Canadian premiers have been calling on Trudeau to be more proactive in his approach to the incoming Trump administration. More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the United States and provincial leaders have said Trump’s duties would be devastating.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was glad Trudeau met Trump to learn more about the president-elect’s concerns. But Ottawa has to show the premiers a plan to make the border more secure to avoid “disastrous tariffs,” Ford said in a statement on social media.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she believed Trump and Trudeau had a constructive conversation. Speaking on her provincewide call-in radio shown Saturday, Smith said it was notable the conversation included the energy sector.

Canada is the largest source of U.S. energy imports, and almost all Canadian crude oil exports went to its neighbour in 2023.

The Alberta premier said it’s critical to demonstrate how Canada’s energy aligns with American’s domestic and international interest.

“Our strategy is this: let’s talk to the Americans about the things we know they need and use that as a leverage point to make sure that we have zero tariffs on all goods,” Smith said.

— With files from Kyle Duggan in Ottawa, Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton and The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2024.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press