Ottawa, provinces to unite to respond to tariff threats, Freeland says

Photo: Adrian Wyld The Canadian Press Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and her colleague Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc on Wednesday

Alex Fontaine

Published yesterday at 9:19 p.m. Updated yesterday at 10:27 p.m.

• Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his provincial and territorial counterparts met virtually Wednesday to prepare their response to Donald Trump's promise to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.

All the premiers agreed to work in a “united and coordinated” manner, said Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland as she left the meeting. Unsurprisingly, economic and border security issues were at the centre of the discussions.

Participants reiterated that Canada-U.S. economic relations are “mutually beneficial” and “balanced,” reported Ms. Freeland. “We also talked about how the United States depends on us for a number of essential products,” particularly in the energy sector.

The minister also avoided commenting on the possibility of imposing retaliatory tariffs.

His colleague from Public Safety, Dominic LeBlanc, was also at the meeting. “We talked a lot about the importance of continuing to secure the border […] and the importance of managing immigration, so that we do not become a gateway for those who ultimately seek to travel to the United States.” To avoid this, “we are prepared to take other measures,” he said at a press briefing.

As for the issue of opioid trafficking, Canada is conducting “ongoing dialogue with [its] American partners,” according to the minister. He opened the door to new investments in border services and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and assures that he has received the support of the prime ministers in this regard.

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Legault calls for a “detailed plan”

In a statement released late in the evening, the Canadian Prime Minister declared that “maintaining the security and integrity of the Canada-U.S. border is essential to [the] relationship [between Canada and the United States] and remains a top priority for all levels of government ».

Shortly after the meeting with his counterparts, Quebec Premier François Legault wrote on X that he had “asked the federal government to table a detailed plan to better secure the borders” in order to “limit illegal entries into Quebec” and thus avoid customs tariffs.

During my virtual meeting with my counterparts and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I asked the federal government to table a detailed plan to better secure the borders. This would limit illegal entries into Quebec and avoid the 25% tariff…

— François Legault (@francoislegault) November 28, 2024

On this subject, Dominic LeBlanc said he “agreed with Mr. Legault and other premiers on the importance of reassuring Canadians and Americans [on the fact] that the border is indeed secure, but also of demonstrating in a visible way the measures that are in place and the additional measures that we will take.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith issued a statement in the evening in which she stated that the federal government and all provinces must “take immediate action to counter illegal activities at the border.” She also called for Canada to increase its military spending.

Earlier Wednesday, federal Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said his government was “ready to work” to “protect the border” and that Canada shared Mr. Trump’s goals of having a “secure” border and preventing the trafficking of fentanyl.

An emergency debate on the tariff issue was held in the House of Commons Tuesday night. Chrystia Freeland had again called for unity among the provinces and the federal government in their response to Mr. Trump’s threats. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had blamed Justin Trudeau for the situation, saying he had created the conditions for the American president-elect to impose tariffs on Canadian products.