Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government on Tuesday defended Canada’s border integrity.President-elect Donald Trump on Monday said he would impose 25% tariffs on his first day in office due to excessive drug trafficking and illegal immigrants coming across America’s northern and southern borders.Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc on Tuesday held a press conference to whether Canada will retaliate to the tariffs.Freeland, who chairs the Commons’ Committee on Canada-US Relations, said the two most important issues to both countries are border and trade relationship..UPDATED: Trump to impose 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico, citing efforts to block illegal drug trade.Freeland said the US relies more on trading with Canada than with China, Japan, the UK and France combined.“Canada is the most important market for the United States,” she said. Canada sells to the US “the things they really need,” said Freeland, stating the importance of Western nations “not increasing our dependency on China.”“We sell the oil, we sell the electricity, we sell them critical minerals and metals.”“The energy the United States imports from Canada is more important today than ever, at a time when we see how hungry AI is for energy and Canada's critical minerals and metals are absolutely essential.” .More than $156B in Alberta exports to US face 25% tariffs.Public Safety Minister LeBlanc said the federal government “continues to do everything it can” to protect the security of the border.“We absolutely share the Americans’ concern around the integrity of the border, the security of the border. In fact, this is work that we have been doing jointly with the United States for decades,” said LeBlanc.LeBlanc claimed the Trudeau Liberals are in sync with Trump's “fight against fentanyl,” and is “constantly working with the RCMP and CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency) to supply them resources like drones and helicopters..UPDATED: Poilievre demands emergency House debate on Trump’s 25% tariffs . “We will always defend the national interest of Canada,” added Freeland, who confirmed Trudeau will be hosting a First Ministers meeting on Wednesday. “If necessary, Canada could retaliate.”
