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(Bloomberg) — Donald Trump said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to working to address the border and fentanyl smuggling, key issues that have led the incoming US president to threaten massive tariffs.
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Trump, in a Truth Social post on Saturday, called their dinner Friday night at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida a “very productive meeting” and made no mention of his earlier 25% tariff threat.
“I made it very clear that the United States will no longer sit idly by as our citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic, caused mainly by the Drug Cartels, and Fentanyl pouring in from China,” he said. “Prime Minister Trudeau has made a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation of US Families.”
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The dinner included incoming Commerce Secretary and trade czar Howard Lutnick, incoming Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and incoming National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. Trudeau’s delegation included Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Chief of Staff Katie Telford.
Trump has threatened tariffs on both Canada and Mexico while demanding action on the border.
Trudeau, speaking briefly to press as he left his West Palm Beach hotel Saturday, called it “an excellent conversation.”
The dinner lasted roughly three hours, with discussion of trade, border security, fentanyl, Ukraine, NATO, Arctic icebreakers, China, pipeline projects and the Middle East, officials with knowledge of the meeting said. They described the meeting as positive.
Trump gave no specific indication at the dinner of whether he’d proceed with his tariff plans, one official said.
At one point, Trump began choosing a playlist, offering two versions of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah — a nod to the Canadian delegation — and playing other songs that were common at his rallies. Trump and Trudeau ate steak and mashed potatoes, while other menu options included meatloaf from a recipe by Mary Trump, the president-elect’s late mother.
(Updates with description of dinner starting in seventh paragraph.)
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