Trump tariffs: Premiers meeting at White House, Finance Minister has ‘constructive’ talks

CTV’s Judy Trinh says 12 premiers will be meeting with White House officials.

On a mission to push back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threat, Canada’s premiers are having a meeting as a group at the White House this afternoon.

According to a statement from the Council of the Federation, the premiers will be meeting with senior advisors to Trump. A source close to Ford’s team tells CTV News the premiers will be meeting with one of Trump’s deputy chiefs of staff, James Blair.

On Monday, Trump signed executive orders to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, including Canadian products, starting March 12. But a White House official has said on background that that tariff would be stacked on top of other levies on Canadian goods.

Trump previously threatened 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, with a lower 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy, which have been pushed back until at least March 4.

Finance Minister has ‘very constructive’ talk with Trump commerce secretary

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc was in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick at the White House. Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman was also in attendance.

Speaking to reporters following the 90-minute meeting, LeBlanc called the conversation “very constructive and positive.”

Last week, Trump announced a month-long pause on a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods – until at least March 4 – after the federal government made additions to its previously announced $1.3 billion border plan in a bid to address the U.S. president’s ongoing concerns around illegal migration and drug trafficking. Those additions included the appointment of a fentanyl czar, who will be in Washington “in a few days,” according to the finance minister.

“I think we have a clear understanding in terms of the March 4 deadline, the conversations of last week around fentanyl and border integrity,” LeBlanc said, adding that he reiterated to Lutnick that “work is ongoing and is expedited.”

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump called Canada’s border plan “not good enough,” adding that “it’s not sustainable.”

On his first day in office on Jan. 20, Trump also announced his “America First Trade Policy” in an executive order, calling for a study into trade practices due April 1.

Asked about that study, LeBlanc said Canada will continue to work with the Trump administration on the review.

“We now have, I think, a good understanding of their process markers over the next number of weeks, and they were very clear that Canada very much has their attention, and they want to work with us to structure an economic deal that’s in the interest of both countries.”

LeBlanc also said he raised Canada’s concerns over the upcoming tariffs on steel and aluminum products.

“It’s important to our economy, but it’s also essential to their economy as well,” LeBlanc said. “But we had a rather detailed conversation about those sectors, which I thought gave us an understanding of their concerns.”

Despite the escalating trade dispute between Canada and the U.S., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday he currently has no trip on the books to meet with Trump.

The prime minister said that while he and Trump have “had many different conversations over the past many, many months,” and that his government will “continue to engage at all levels,” with the U.S. administration, he does not personally have plans to go to Washington.

This is a developing story...

With files from CTV News’ Judy Trinh and Spencer Van Dyk