Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to Florida on Friday, November 29, to meet with Donald Trump, who has raised concerns among America’s neighbors by threatening a drastic increase in customs duties.
On Monday, the president-elect said he wanted to impose 25% customs tariffs on all goods imported into the United States on Mexico and Canada, an announcement that shook the two countries and raised fears of a major trade war.
It was probably in an attempt to avoid such economic hostilities that Justin Trudeau made a surprise trip to West Palm Beach on Friday to meet in person with the next American president, who will return to the White House on January 20.
A Canadian government source confirmed to AFP that he had gone to dinner with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, the billionaire’s residence. The Canadian leader did not respond to reporters upon returning to his hotel after the meeting.
Canadian retaliation?
In response to Donald Trump’s announcements, Canada reacted quickly. Ottawa is now examining the possibility of imposing additional customs duties on certain American items in retaliation, according to a government source.
Because more than three quarters of the value of Canadian exports (592 billion Canadian dollars or 400 billion euros) will go to the United States in 2023. And in terms of employment, almost 2 million people in Canada depend on exports in a population of approximately 41 million. population.
On Friday, before the press, Justin Trudeau suggested that he had no doubt about Donald Trump’s intention to implement this increase announced when he came to power.
“When Donald Trump makes such statements, he intends to carry them out,” declared the Liberal Prime Minister, trailing his conservative opponent in the polls a few months before the Canadian elections.
During Trump’s first term, the United States imposed tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminum, to which Ottawa responded by targeting certain products.
Regardless of the free trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico (USMCA), Donald Trump made customs tariffs the backbone of his economic policy during his campaign.
“Illegal immigrants”
On Monday, the former and next president promised that he will maintain this surcharge “until drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal immigrants stop this invasion of our country.”
He spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday, but their phone call gave rise to divergent interpretations.
The American assured that his counterpart had agreed to “stop illegal immigration” to the United States. But Claudia Sheinbaum contradicted him by remembering that Mexico’s position “is not to close the borders.”
He also threatened to increase Mexican customs tariffs on American products, deploring that this trade war threatens competitiveness, inflation and employment in North America.
Upon his departure, Joe Biden considered Donald Trump’s statements “counterproductive.” These neighboring countries are “allies,” the US president said Thursday, and “the last thing we should do is start spoiling these relationships.”
Donald Trump also announced on Monday that he wanted to increase customs duties on products from China by 10%.
Source: BFM TV
