United States: Canadian ministers spoke with the Trump team

Ministers from Justin Trudeau’s Canadian government traveled to Florida on Thursday to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump’s team, as Ottawa scrambles to try to avoid an upcoming economic war with the United States.

The new Minister of Finance Dominic LeBlanc and Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly traveled to Florida, where the Republican resides, “to meet officials from the future Trump administration,” declared Jean-Sébastien Comeau, the minister. -speech of Dominic Leblanc, in a press release sent to AFP.

Meetings are planned for Friday and “will focus on Canada’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration,” the text specifies, without mentioning the American officials concerned.

Tax Canadian and Mexican products at 25%

Even before taking office on January 20, future American President Donald Trump threatened to tax Canadian and Mexican products at 25%, a decision justified according to him by the crises linked to opiates – in particular fentanyl – and immigration.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised retaliatory measures if these customs duties came into force, without providing details.

Members of his government must inform Donald Trump’s team on Friday of a new plan to secure the Canadian border at a cost of one billion Canadian dollars (more than 624 million Swiss francs), designed in response to the threat from Trump.

A serious political crisis in Canada

The meeting must also focus on “the negative consequences that the imposition of 25% customs duties on Canadian products would have for both Canada and the United States,” the press release added.

Such a measure would be catastrophic for Canada according to experts, the United States being the country’s largest trading partner.

This trip to Florida comes at a time when the Canadian government is facing a serious political crisis. Justin Trudeau is particularly weakened by the withdrawal of his left-wing ally and the growing discontent within his own party. His Deputy Prime Minister recently resigned, displaying his disagreement with his way of managing the economic war which is looming with the United States.

According to Canadian media, Melanie Joly and Dominic LeBlanc could be candidates for leadership of the Liberal Party in the event of the departure of Justin Trudeau, urged by former allies to resign.

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