President-elect Donald J. Trump mocked Canada’s prime minister in a social media post late Monday, referring to him as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.”
The post also mentioned a surprise dinner between the two leaders at Mar-a-Lago over the Thanksgiving weekend, which Mr. Trump described as “a pleasure.” Canada is the second-largest country in the world by size, with a population of approximately 40 million.
Mr. Trump expressed his anticipation of meeting Mr. Trudeau again soon to continue discussions on tariffs and trade, stating that the results would be “truly spectacular for all.”
The president-elect has pledged to impose a 25 percent tariff on exports from Canada and Mexico on his first day in office next month unless both countries take further action to reduce the influx of undocumented migrants and drugs into the United States.
If implemented, these tariffs would significantly disrupt the trade agreement among the three nations and could have severe economic consequences for Canada, which relies heavily on exports, particularly oil and automobiles, to the United States.
Mr. Trudeau's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Following their dinner, there was no indication that Mr. Trudeau had influenced Mr. Trump’s stance on tariffs.
After Mr. Trump announced his tariff threat, Mr. Trudeau adopted a measured tone, suggesting that the dispute could be resolved amicably. However, he has recently adopted a more assertive approach, indicating that Canada is prepared to implement retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, a sentiment echoed by President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico.
Mr. Trudeau referenced Canada’s previous response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum during Mr. Trump’s first administration, stating, “We will, of course, as we did eight years ago, respond to unfair tariffs in a number of ways, and we’re still looking at the right ways to respond.”
While calling the potential American tariffs “absolutely devastating,” Mr. Trudeau urged calm, emphasizing the importance of not panicking in response to the situation. “One of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic,” he remarked to a business audience in Halifax, Nova Scotia.