Prime Minister Justin Trudeau landed in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday evening to meet with U.S.-president elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, sources confirm to CTV News.
The meeting comes just days after Trump threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports unless Canada addresses his border concerns.
Sources tell CTV News the Canadian delegation at the dinner includes Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, along with the prime minister’s chief of staff Katie Telford and his deputy chief of staff Brian Clow.
On the American side, president-elect Trump was joined by the incoming president’s nominee for Interior Secretary North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and his wife, Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick and his wife, as well as National Security Advisor nominee Rep. Mike Waltz and his wife. Pennsylvania Senator-elect Dave McCormick and his wife Dina Powell are also in attendance.
Then-U.S. president Donald Trump meets with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Winfield House, Dec. 3, 2019, in London. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
In a press conference earlier on Friday, Trudeau said Trump’s tariff needs to be taken seriously.
“One of the things that is really important to understand is that, you know, Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out,” Trudeau said. “There’s no question about it.”
Trudeau also said he looks forward to having “lots of great conversations with president-elect Trump as we move forward on standing up for good jobs on both sides of the borders.”
CTV News has reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office for comment.
With files from CTV News’ Vassy Kapelos and Mike Le Couteur