TORONTO — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada is set to meet with opposition leaders to address U.S.-Canada relations following threats from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump regarding extensive tariffs on Canadian goods.
A source close to the situation revealed that this meeting is scheduled for early Wednesday afternoon, although the individual chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic.

Previously, Trudeau utilized a cooperative “Team Canada” strategy during Trump’s first term, particularly when renegotiating the free trade agreement involving Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. However, Trudeau’s current minority government is in a precarious political position, especially with an election looming in the next year.

Upon returning to Canada after a dinner last Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trudeau did not receive any commitments from the president-elect to forgo the proposed tariffs on Canadian imports.
The Republican leader has suggested a 25% tax on all products imported from Canada and Mexico unless these countries take action to halt the influx of migrants and drugs.

Although Trump deemed the discussions as “productive”, he indicated that he remains firm on his intention to implement the tariffs as one of his first executive actions in January.
Canada contends that it is being unfairly categorized alongside Mexico, given its significant reliance on trade. Approximately 77% of Canada’s exports are directed to the U.S.

During Trump’s earlier term, the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, along with proposed tariffs on the automotive industry, posed a significant risk to the Canadian economy.
Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador in Washington, stated that Trudeau effectively conveyed to Trump and key members of his administration that the issues at the Canada-U.S. border fundamentally differ from those at the Mexico-U.S. border, a clarification made during her proximity to both leaders.

The scale of migrant movement and drug seizures is notably different; last fiscal year, U.S. customs confiscated 43 pounds of fentanyl along the Canadian border, in stark contrast to 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.
The majority of fentanyl entering the U.S. — which is linked to around 70,000 overdose deaths per year — is produced by Mexican cartels using precursor chemicals from Asia.

In terms of illegal immigration, U.S. Border Patrol recorded 1.53 million interactions with unauthorized migrants at the southwestern border with Mexico from October 2023 to September 2024, compared to a mere 23,721 interactions at the Canadian border in the same period.

Canada stands as the primary export market for 36 U.S. states, with an impressive value of nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (around US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services crossing the border daily.
Furthermore, approximately 60% of U.S. crude oil imports originate from Canada, along with 85% of electricity imports,
making Canada the leading foreign supplier of essential resources such as steel, aluminum, and uranium. Canada also possesses 34 critical minerals and metals that are crucial for U.S. national security interests, drawing significant investments from the Pentagon.