The Canadian Ministers of Finance and Foreign Affairs are scheduled to hold talks in the US state of Florida with aides to US President Donald Trump, as part of talks about the next US president. Threatening to attack Canada With steep tariffs looming large.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Jolie and Finance Minister Dominique LeBlanc traveled to Palm Beach, Florida, for discussions on Friday about the effects of the tariffs on both countries.

Late last month, Trump threatened to do so Slap tariffs at 25 percent on all Canadian goods if the United States’ northern neighbor does not do more to stop the flow of illicit drugs and illegal immigration across its borders.

LeBlanc’s office said in a statement Thursday that Canadian ministers will highlight “the negative impacts that a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods would have on both Canada and the United States.”

The office added that Friday’s meeting will also focus on Canada’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration.

It was not immediately clear which Trump advisers the ministers would meet, but LeBlanc said last week that he planned to meet after Christmas with the ministers. Tom HomanTrump’s next “border czar.”

Politico also reported on Friday that Canadian ministers are expected to speak Howard Lutnickthe billionaire businessman appointed by Trump to be the next US Secretary of Commerce.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government Trudeau stressed the importance of strong relations between the United States and Canada in the face of Trump’s threat of tariffs, as Trudeau himself traveled to Mar-a-Lago in late November for personal talks with the US president-elect.

But Trudeau, who is popular decreased significantly Over the past few years, it has been under pressure from conservative politicians at the federal and provincial levels to resolve any problems before Trump takes office next month.

The Prime Minister is also facing calls to resign as leader of his Liberal Party before next year’s federal election.

Those calls increased this month when Trudeau called Longtime Rep. Chrystia Freeland, She resigned from her cabinet positions over what she said was a disagreement over how best to deal with the next US president.

“The incoming US administration is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including the threat of 25 percent tariffs. We need to take this threat seriously,” Freeland, who served as Treasury and Deputy Prime Minister, wrote in her resignation letter. “Grandfather.”

“This means keeping our fiscal balance dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for the next tariff war,” she said.

Experts say US tariffs combined with reciprocal measures by Canada would do just that Harmful to the economies of both countries.

The United States and Canada exchanged $2.7 billion ($3.6 billion Canadian) worth of goods and services daily across their common border last year, according to Canadian government figures.

In recent weeks, Trudeau Govt Announce New investments to strengthen security on the US-Canada border, including the use of “helicopters, drones and mobile surveillance towers” ​​by Canadian Federal Police along the extended border.

But it remains unclear whether the new measures will be enough to stave off Trump’s tariff threat.

Homan, the new US “border czar,” told Canada’s CTV News in an interview earlier this month: Canadian immigration laws They are “too lenient.”

“Of course, it’s up to Canada to change those rules,” Homan said, adding that he’s “grateful” that Canadian ministers are “coming to the table to talk about border security because the northern border represents a significant national security risk.”

human rights Canada’s advocates urged Not to demonize immigrants and asylum seekers in an attempt to appease the incoming US administration, which has promised to continue a tough anti-immigrant policy when Trump takes office next month.

Meanwhile, as uncertainty continues over his tariff threat, Trump has repeatedly mocked Trudeau and Canada, referring to the prime minister as the “governor” of a country he says should be the 51st US state.

The US president-elect said on Wednesday that he has urged Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to run as the country’s next leader.

“I said to him: ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, who will soon be known as Governor of Canada — you’ll win easily, and you won’t even have to campaign.’ Trump wrote On its social truth platform.

“He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a Wayne Gretzky movement project.”