Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Palm Beach, Florida, to meet with President-elect Donald Trump, senior government sources told the Associated Press.
Trudeau’s plane landed this evening at Palm Beach International Airport, the same airport Trump uses for his visits to his Mar-a-Lago estate, where he has been holding recent transition team meetings.
According to CBC News, Trudeau is scheduled to have dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night and will reportedly stay overnight at the residence, departing early the next morning.
Newsweek reached out to Trump’s transition team for comment.
Trudeau’s visit comes as Trump has threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico unless the countries curb what he described as the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. Trump made the remarks on Monday, warning that imposing such tariffs would be among his first executive orders.
Trudeau expressed confidence in resolving the issue through dialogue with Trump. Speaking to reporters in Prince Edward Island earlier on Friday, he said, “We’re going to work together to address some of these concerns. But ultimately, it’s through constructive conversations with President Trump that we’ll stay on the right track for all Canadians.”
Trump’s comments lumped Canada with Mexico in addressing border concerns despite illegal migration numbers at the northern border being far lower than those at the southern border. Canadian officials called the comparison unfair but said they are prepared to invest further in border security if needed.
Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum separately called Trump earlier this week following his announcement. They described the conversations as friendly and constructive. Sheinbaum said Thursday she remains optimistic that a tariff war with the United States can be avoided.
Despite these calls, Trudeau chose to follow up in person to address the matter directly with Trump.
Trump’s threat recalls his first-term tariff measures, which prompted retaliatory actions from other countries. In 2018, Canada responded to U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum with billions of dollars in duties on American goods.
The Canadian government is already exploring similar measures should Trump proceed with sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official told the Associated Press this week.
Canada is the leading export destination for 36 U.S. states, with nearly $2.7 billion in goods and services crossing the border daily. It is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum, and uranium to the United States.
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