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Amid increased criticism from President-Elect Donald Trump, Canadian officials held high-level talks at Mar-a-Lago to address border security concerns, fentanyl trafficking, and the potential economic fallout from Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.

Some shit you should know before you read: Roughly three weeks after winning the election, President-Elect Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Canada, accusing the country of contributing to illegal migration and fentanyl trafficking into the United States, despite data showing these issues are minimal at the northern border compared to the southern border with Mexico. Trump threatened 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods, framing them as a necessary response to perceived trade imbalances and border security concerns. He has also mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media, referring to him as the “Governor of the 51st state” and suggesting that Canada could become part of the United States.  

What’s going on now: In a readout provided by the Canadian government, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed they met with Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for Commerce Secretary, and Doug Burgum, the nominee for Interior Secretary, at Mar-a-Lago to discuss border security and trade concerns. The Canadian officials told Lutnick and Burgum about a new multi-billion dollar border plan that would crack down on fentanyl trafficking along the US-Canadain broader and increase security.

While the Canadians reiterated their commitment to addressing border issues, the readout noted that Lutnick and Burgum agreed only to “relay the information” to Trump, leaving critical issues like the 25% tariff threats unresolved.

This all comes as a top Canadian official, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, has warned that if President-elect Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, Canada is prepared to cut off energy exports to the United States. Ford argued the potential impact on US states heavily and could make Trump think twice about possible tariffs on Canada.

Digging Deeper: According to the US Treasury, the bilateral trade between the United States and Canada equates to approximately $1.95 trillion annually (2022 data).