Canadian Foreign Minister to Meet with U.S. Secretary of State in Washington to Discuss Tariffs and Trade Relations

Canadian Foreign Minister to Meet with U.S. Secretary of State in Washington to Discuss Tariffs and Trade Relations

Washington D.C., January 29, 2025 – To avoid the potential threat of tariffs, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods starting February 1.

The Canadian government’s goal is to prevent the imposition of these tariffs. Joly stated last week in Ottawa, "Our objective is to avoid these tariffs, and we believe it is possible. We will continue to engage with U.S. officials."

The Canadian government is under pressure regarding this tariff threat. Opposition parties and the business community have called on the government to take effective measures.

It is worth noting that the U.S. and Canada are among the world’s largest trading partners. In 2023, the daily exchange of goods and services between the two countries amounted to $2.7 billion. Analysts believe that the imposition of tariffs would harm both economies and that Canada’s retaliatory measures would complicate trade even further.

Trump has been threatening tariffs on Canada since his first term, claiming that Canada has failed to take further steps to stop irregular immigration and drug trafficking at the border.

White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt told reporters on Tuesday, "The February 1 deadline for Canada remains in place. The President remains committed to imposing tariffs, just as he did during his first term."

On the other hand, Canada has not yet disclosed specific details regarding retaliatory measures. However, according to Radio-Canada, the Trudeau government has developed a plan to impose tariffs on U.S. goods worth $25.5 billion (CAD 37 billion). If the situation escalates, this could rise to $76 billion (CAD 110 billion).

Jean Charest, a member of the Canada-U.S. Relations Council and former Premier of Quebec, told CNN, "Canada can use its energy exports to apply pressure, but that would be considered a last resort."

Canada is the largest energy supplier to the United States. In 2023, 60% of U.S. crude oil imports came from Canada. That same year, 97% of Canada’s total crude oil exports went to the U.S.

Considering the gravity of the situation, Canada has kept all options open, but the next steps in resolving this tariff deadlock will depend on ongoing discussions between the two countries.