Canada is “essential” to the American energy supply, a government statement said Monday, touting ties with its southern neighbor after US President-elect Donald Trump vowed to impose tariffs once he takes office in January.
“Our relationship today is balanced and mutually beneficial, particularly for American workers,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in the joint statement, adding that Ottawa would “continue to discuss these issues with the incoming administration”
Stressing several points: that Canada “places the highest priority” on border security and the “integrity of our shared border” and that Canada has beefed up efforts to disrupt “the scourge of fentanyl coming from China and other countries.”
The U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Monday threatened to levy 25% tax on products from Canada and Mexico as soon as he takes office in January in order to curb illegal immigrants and drug peddling, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to personally call Trump to argue against the action.
Trump had stated: “thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before.”
Trump, who resumes office in January, wrote in a post on his Truth Social site and later X on Monday evening, that, “On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States.”
He said the new tariffs would remain in place “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!
“Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long-simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!” the president-elect added.
Within two hours of Trump’s statement, Trudeau spoke to Trump, according to a senior government official, and the leaders spoke for about 10 minutes, and had a “good discussion,” the official said.
Among other things, the official said Trudeau pointed out that the number of migrants who cross from Canada to the U.S. is a tiny fraction of those who cross from Mexico, less than one per cent of the total number. The two agreed to stay in touch, according to the source who wasn’t authorized to reveal the details.
Trump’s announcement led Ontario Premier Doug Ford to demand that Trudeau immediately call an emergency first ministers meeting on border security, to forestall what he said would be a “devastating” impact on jobs in this country, a fear echoed by Quebec Premier François Legault and other provincial leaders.
“The federal government needs to take the situation at our border seriously. We need a Team Canada approach and response — and we need it now. Prime Minister Trudeau must call an urgent meeting with all premiers,” wrote Ford in a post on X.
Legault said Trump’s threat represented an “enormous risk” to Canada’s and Quebec’s economy and offered to work with Trudeau to halt the threat.