ottawa –
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Donald Trump’s return to the White House has increased Canada’s influence in the world as other international partners look to Canada for advice on how to deal with him.
Jolie made the comments while attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Peru.
Although Trump will not take office again until January, his victory in last week’s presidential election will have a major impact on the group’s discussion of improving trade between Pacific Rim nations.
Jolie told reporters in Lima on Friday morning that no country understands the United States better than Canada, and several countries are currently seeking advice on how to adapt to the second Trump administration. .
As the first president, Trump withdrew from many multilateral agreements, including the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is joined by half of APEC countries.
He has also promised to impose a flat import tax of at least 10% on all goods imported into the United States, a move that has caused significant concern among America’s trading partners.
The London School of Economics warned last month that such policies would likely harm the economies of the United States, China and the European Union.
Jolie acknowledged that she expects President Trump to visit Canada next year when the G7 summit is held in Kananaskis, Alta.
“If there’s any country in the world that understands the United States, it’s Canada,” Jolie said. “That’s why so many delegations, so many countries are coming to see us and asking how we and they can adapt.
“I think Canada’s influence is actually increasing because of the impact the world is currently facing with the new administration.”
Jolie met in Lima on Thursday night with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose term ends in January when the new administration takes office. President Trump announced this week that he will nominate Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be his new secretary of state. .
Jolie also spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday to discuss cooperation between Canada and China on air transport and countering fentanyl. He also said he had discussed Canada’s public inquiry into foreign interference with him and sent a “clear message to China that we will never accept foreign interference.”
“We need to have predictable relationships,” she said.
Canadian officials have raised the possibility that Trudeau will meet with Xi, whether in a formal sit-down or informal hallway chat, in Lima for APEC or over the weekend when he attends the Group of 20 summit in Brazil. has remained silent.
John Kirton, head of the G20 study group, said he expects Prime Minister Trudeau and a number of leaders to hold informal talks between the two leaders to consider how to navigate President-elect Trump’s term in office. He said there was.
“Prime Minister Trudeau will be in a relatively good position because he’s been with Donald Trump on (several) summits and we’re neighbors and we’re a frontline nation. ” he said.
Bina Najibullah, deputy director of research at the Asia Pacific Foundation, said President Trump’s re-election would likely mean a reduction in the US role in multilateral institutions and on climate change, and an increase in tensions with China over trade, tariffs and technology. He said it meant an increase in tensions.
Trudeau’s Liberals say they will continue to stand with the United States against China on clean energy and electric vehicles. This fall, Canada increased tariffs on steel and aluminum products, matching the United States’ 100% import tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles.
Canada is also considering expanding tariffs on electric vehicle batteries and battery components, critical minerals and solar panels, all of which the U.S. already plans to increase tariffs on.
“APEC is meeting in a context of rising protectionism, intense geopolitical competition, uncertain economic growth and the election of President Trump,” Najibullah said.
That means Prime Minister Trudeau will push in the coming days to maintain rules-based trade “which is critical to the prosperity of our country,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2024.
