Canada Trudeau calls emergency talks to discuss threat to exports

Justin Trudeau has called an emergency meeting with provincial premiers across Canada after the US president-elect, Donald Trump, threatened a 25% tariff on imports from the United States' northern neighbour and largest trading partner.

- Leyland Cecco

Trump posted on social media that he would "sign all necessary documents" to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the US, with the levy staying in place until "such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country!"

The Canadian prime minister said yesterday he had a "good" conversation with Trump shortly after the social media post, working to tamp down fears of an immense economic hit to Canada. He did not say if Canada would impose retaliatory tariffs, as it did during previous trade hostilities during Trump's first term.

"We talked about how the intense and effective connections between our two countries flow back and forth," he told reporters. "We talked about some of the challenges that we can work on together."