The honorable Canadian Ambassador to the United States revealed how actively engaged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was with President-elect Donald Trump, in helping him to realize the fundamental differences between Canada and Mexico, especially with respect to issues like drug trafficking and illegal immigration. It appeared that Trudeau’s concerted effort to enlighten Trump and his decisive cabinet picks about this misgrouping had a resonating impact. Essentially, the ambassador stressed, the Canadian context in these matters diverges greatly from the Mexican one, and treating them the same would not be reflective of the current realities.
The Canadian ambassador elucidated on this revelation during an interview with The Associated Press. He talked about a crucial dinner interaction between the Prime Minister and Trump and how this served as an opportunity for Trudeau to initiate a discourse on the varied aspects of US-Canada trade and border issues. Not only was the dinner fruitful in discussion, but also served as a significant measure to help Trump consider alternatives to imposing blanket tariffs on Canada, one of America’s prominent trading partners.
At one point, Trump had mused on social media about implementing a blanket 25% tax on all products from Canada and Mexico, as part of his executive orders aimed at halting the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants across their borders. This announcement prompted Prime Minister Trudeau to request a face-to-face discussion with Trump, allowing him an audience to discuss these ideas over dinner.
The highlight of the dinner occurred when the otherwise contrasting features of the Canada-US border and the Mexico-US border were brought up. The ambassador revealed, ‘It was an enlightening moment for everyone at the table when they came to realize that our border situation is considerably different from the Mexican border context.’ This was an essential part of Trudeau’s mission during the dinner, signaling the significant difference in scenarios across these borders, an understanding of which could impact future decisions.
A considerable portion of the dinner discussion was focused on Trump’s concerns related to border management. As a matter of fact, a priority for Trudeau was to underscore the stark differences in conditions across the different borders. For instance, when it comes to the fentanyl crisis, there’s essentially negligible trafficking from Canada to the United States. The instances where it does occur are generally personal and not marked by criminal trafficking intentions.
It is worth noting that 99.8% of the fentanyl intercepted by U.S. authorities originates from Mexico, not Canada. The ambassador emphasized these numbers, offering a clear-cut explanation of where the real problem lies. Additionally, a surprisingly small fraction of illegal border crossings into the United States come from Canada. ‘The rate of illegal crossings from Canada last year was less than one percent, specifically, 0.6 percent,’ he pointed out.
To strengthen this argument, the ambassador further elaborated on the confiscation statistics, which reveal a stark contrast between the two borders. A total of 43 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, whereas in the same time period, a staggering 21,100 pounds were seized at the Mexican border. This difference underscores the prevailing scenarios at these locations.
Addressing the issue of immigration, the emphasis was placed on the fact that in the month of October alone, there were 56,530 arrests made at the Mexican border, compared to a total of 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border from October 2023 to September 2024. Coupling these figures with the decreasing number of migrants since summer, the ambassador underlined the need to evaluate actual facts before action. ‘The facts, once presented, are hard to deny,’ he added.
The ambassador also brought to the attention that Canada is looking forward to making new investments in border security. These include plans for increased technological assistance via drone surveillance, more law-enforcing personnel, and additional helicopters. It’s also worthwhile to mention that an agreement between the U.S. and Canada allows for migrants crossing illegally into the U.S to be sent back to Canada, something that does not exist between Mexico and the U.S, thus further differentiating these dynamics.
During the three-hour long dinner discussion, the matter pertaining to American trade deficit with Canada was also scrutinized. The previous year saw the U.S experiencing a $75 billion trade deficit with Canada, despite high export prices. The ambassador explained, ‘Trade balances are something Trump focuses on. Engaging in a conversation about it is, therefore, crucial. But it’s also vital to understand it within context.’
She further highlighted, ‘Our economic size is merely one tenth of the United States. Therefore, in a balanced trade arrangement, Canada would, per capita, be buying 10 times more from the U.S. than what they are purchasing from us. If that metric is taken into consideration, we will certainly engage on it.’ This illuminates the willingness of both nations to find a common ground on these pivotal issues in the weeks to come.
President-elect Trump responded positively to the discussions, terming them productive over social media, although gave no clear indication of deviating from his initial tariff proposition. Despite this, he seems to have engaged in open dialogue and deliberation over these issues with Prime Minister Trudeau, a development quite encouraging for the potential of these discussions.
Their shared dinner was described as not merely a professional engagement, but also a social interaction. The ambassador reported that ‘Trump and Trudeau get along well.’ The building of this mutual rapport and understanding is of significance as it paves the path for ongoing, fruitful discussions concerning border and trade issues that directly impact both countries.