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Ottawa, Ontario

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, Anita Anand, and Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, met virtually with Canada’s premiers to discuss the Canada-U.S. relationship and economic prosperity.

The Prime Minister provided an update on his recent conversations with the President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, during which the President decided to pause the implementation of U.S. tariffs against Canadian goods for a period of 30 days. The Prime Minister and the premiers reiterated their determination to continue engaging with U.S. partners at the federal, state, and local levels to prevent the imposition of any tariffs on Canadian exports and emphasize the benefits of Canada-U.S. co-operation. The Prime Minister welcomed the premiers’ upcoming mission to Washington, D.C., under the auspices of the Council of the Federation, as a significant opportunity for engagement and advocacy.

The Prime Minister and Minister LeBlanc discussed progress in the implementation of Canada’s $1.3 billion border plan. The Government of Canada has been redoubling its efforts to uphold border security with new helicopters and technology, enhanced co-ordination with U.S. law enforcement agencies, increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl, and nearly 10,000 frontline personnel working on protecting the border. This Monday, the Prime Minister announced further commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, and launch a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering. The Prime Minister also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl, backed with an investment of $200 million. The Prime Minister thanked premiers for their ongoing efforts to complement Canada’s border plan and committed to continue working in close partnership as the Government of Canada implements the recently announced new measures.

With the current pause in the proposed U.S. tariffs, First Ministers recognized the important opportunity to build a long-term prosperity agenda for Canada. They welcomed the positive conversations that took place at the meeting of the Committee on Internal Trade in Toronto, Ontario, on January 31, 2025. First Ministers endorsed the recommendations of Internal Trade Ministers to strengthen the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, advance mutual recognition and labour mobility, and explore opportunities to open new domestic markets in key sectors. They looked forward to making progress on these important priorities.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the upcoming Canada-U.S. Economic Summit that the Council on Canada-U.S. Relations will hold in Toronto on February 7, 2025. Building on the Council’s work to date, the Summit will bring together Canadian leaders in trade, business, public policy, and organized labour to explore ways to grow Canada’s economy, make it easier to build and trade within the country, diversify export markets, and rejuvenate productivity.

The Prime Minister and the premiers agreed to remain in close contact and to continue standing up for Canadian consumers, jobs, and businesses. They agreed to reconvene in two weeks’ time, or sooner if necessary, to discuss next steps in Canada’s engagement with the United States.

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