In an effort to deter the possibility of punitive tariffs, senior members of Canada’s cabinet met Friday with the nominees of US President-elect Donald Trump to head the departments of commerce and the interior.
Howard Lutnick, Trump’s choice for commerce secretary and the head of Canada’s trade and tariff strategy, met with newly appointed Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.
The meeting, which took place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, also included Doug Burgum, the nominee for interior secretary.
Jean-Sebastien Comeau, a spokesman for Leblanc, verified the attendees and called the discussions “positive and productive.”
Trump has vowed to impose crippling 25-percent tariffs on all Canadian imports when he takes office next month.
He has said they will remain in place until Canada addresses the flow of undocumented migrants and the drug fentanyl into the United States.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised retaliatory measures should Trump follow through on his pledge, raising fears of a trade war.
Leblanc and Joly “outlined the measures in Canada’s Border Plan and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives,” Comeau said in a statement.
Canada’s Border Plan — estimated to cost CAN$1 billion ($694 million) — was crafted as part of Ottawa’s response to Trump’s concerns.
Lutnick and Burgum “agreed to relay information to President Trump,” the statement said.
Since taking power in 2015, Trudeau has been dealing with his largest political crisis to date.
Following Chrystia Freeland’s unexpected resignation earlier this month, Leblanc was appointed finance minister.
Freeland criticized Trudeau in a harsh resignation letter for putting voter gifts ahead of preparing Canada’s finances for a potential trade war.
Nearly two million Canadian employment are dependent on commerce, and over 75% of Canadian exports are sent to the US.
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