Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly met with American Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday as part of a diplomatic offensive to convince the administration of President Donald Trump not to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods, which he threatened to do on February 1.
Canadian Public Safety Minister David McGuinty arrived in America on Thursday for similar meetings, while Joly has said she will spend the rest of the week in Washington pressuring officials to convince Trump not to impose the tariffs.
As president-elect in November, Trump made a bombshell announcement that he was considering imposing the 25 percent tariff on both Canada and Mexico in response to their poor border protection, their role in the North American fentanyl trade, and what he indicated was a disregard for American interests.
“This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” he promised at the time.
Trump did not impose the tariffs on Inauguration Day, as he had initially hinted he would, but told reporters that day that he would give the countries until February 1 to take significant action to curtail drug and human trafficking across their borders or face the tariffs.
The Canadian government is in a particularly poor position to address the tariffs, which could have monumental negative consequences for the national economy. Amid the panic over the tariff threat, radical leftist Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in January that he would resign after a decade in power. To give his Liberal Party time to find a new leader, Trudeau moved to prorogue Parliament, a move that effectively paralyzes the national legislature, through March 24. As a result, Canada does not have a functioning legislative body to take measures to either prevent the tariffs or contain the damage they cause if Trump implements them.
Trudeau has not played a prominent role in addressing the tariff threat since his resignation announcement, leaving his cabinet to flounder, seeking ways to prevent an economic catastrophe – and Liberals seeking to replace him trying to outdo their own belligerent rhetoric against Trump, but without any power to meaningfully act. Trudeau resurfaced on social media on Wednesday, assuring Canadians his officials were “working around the clock” to protect their economic interests, but has largely abstained from commenting in detail after a personal visit to Mar-a-Lago following the initial tariff threat in November resulted in his resignation message.
The State Department confirmed that Joly met with Rubio to discuss issues of mutual interest, though it did not specify if they talked about tariffs. The two diplomats, it said, discussed “how the United States and Canada can collaborate on shared global challenges, such as secure borders and energy security.”
“Secretary Rubio commended Canada for confronting the CCP’s coercive and unfair economic practices. The Secretary and Minister Joly also reaffirmed cooperation to enhance safety and prosperity for both countries,” the State Department added.
Joly herself appeared positive in remarks to reporters following the meeting and described herself as “cautiously optimistic,” according to Canada’s Global News.
“This is just the reality of dealing with the Trump administration, and we need to make sure that we’re ready to deal with that unpredictability,” Joly asserted, describing Trump as “the ultimate decision-maker.” Joly is expected to remain in Washington for the rest of the week, and prior to her arrival, she said she had been “making contact with international allies” to galvanize support in the face of a worst-case scenario.
McGuinty, the public safety minister, is reportedly traveling to Washington to discuss how Trudeau’s administration is working to stop crime along the U.S.-Canadian border.
“I am quite confident that in due course, we’re going to be able to break through,” McGuinty told reporters Wednesday. “But we need to indicate to our largest ally when they raise (concerns), we take it seriously.”
McGuinty claimed that Canada has a “very strong border” and that he had the evidence to “break through” to Trump.
The Canadian Globe and Mail newspaper reported this week that the Trudeau administration is preparing for the worst by planning a gigantic, “pandemic-style” bailout program for affected businesses. Anonymous sources, presumably in the Liberal Party camp, told the newspaper that measures in the program include “waiving the one-week waiting period for employment insurance benefits,” something the executive branch can do without Parliament.
“But the bulk of potential spending on new programs to help laid-off workers and businesses affected by tariffs will require legislative approval, which could not take place until Parliament resumes sitting on March 24,” the newspaper added.
The lack of an active Parliament has proven to significantly hinder the government’s ability to address the tariff situation. The head of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, has repeatedly called for Trudeau to call an emergency Parliament session to allow for legislative work to occur. Poilievre, citing extensive polling that Canadians want an election to replace Trudeau swiftly, has also demanded that the Trudeau government allow Canadians to vote for a new prime minister as soon as possible. Polls show Conservatives with a commanding lead in such an election, likely making Poilievre the next prime minister.
“Our American counterparts say they want to stop the illegal flow of drugs and other criminal activity at our border,” Poilievre asserted shortly after Trump’s inauguration, the first tariff deadline. “The Liberal government admits their weak border is a problem.”
“That is why they announced a multibillion-dollar border plan – a plan they cannot fund because they shut down Parliament, preventing MPs and Senators from authorizing the funds,” he added, “Canada has never been so weak and things have never been so out of control.”
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