▲ Following Donald Trump’s threats that he will raise taxes on all products of his T-MEC partners, the Prime Minister of Canada met with him in Florida on Friday.Photo taken from networks
Ap
La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, December 1, 2024, p. 3
West Palm Beach. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home on Saturday after holding a meeting with Donald Trump, the next president of the United States, without obtaining guarantees that he will back down from threats to impose tariffs on all products of one of his main trading partners, along with Mexico.
For his part, the Republican pointed out that the meeting was productive
but he did not mention that there had been a setback in his promise that, according to Canada, unfairly groups them with Mexico in the entry of drugs and migrants to the American Union.
U.S. customs agents seized 19 kilograms of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared to 9,525 kilograms at the Mexican border. Regarding immigration, the Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests in its southern border zone alone in October of this year, and 23,721 in the north between October 2023 and September 2024, and Canadian officials indicated that they are ready to make new investments in border security.
After the hastily arranged dinner Friday night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trudeau reported that it was a excellent conversation
while the next US president said yesterday on his social network Truth Social that they discussed many important issues that will require both countries to work together to address
fentanyl trafficking and drug crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of illegal immigration
fair trade agreements that do not endanger American workers
and the trade deficit of the United States with its northern ally.
The Republican magnate has threatened to impose a 25 percent tax on all products entering the United States from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders as soon as he takes office on January 20. Those tariffs could essentially blow up USMCA, which Trump’s team negotiated during his first term with Mexico and Canada.
Trudeau called Trump last Monday after his social media threats about the tariffs and they agreed to meet, an official close to the matter said. It’s important to understand that when Trump makes statements like that, he plans to carry them out. There is no doubt about it
Trudeau said.
Canada is one of the most trade-dependent nations in the world, and 77 percent of its exports go to the United States. It is also the main export destination for 36 US states. Nearly C$3.6 billion (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day.
About 60 percent of U.S. crude oil imports come from Canada, as do 85 percent of electricity imports. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the United States and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager to obtain and invest in for national security.
