A source familiar with the matter told AP that the dinner between President-elect Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the evening of November 29 included several candidates in Mr. Trump's new cabinet.
Earlier, also on November 29, Mr. Trudeau said he would resolve the tariff issue by negotiating with Mr. Trump. Speaking to reporters in Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada, Mr. Trudeau affirmed: "We will work together to address some concerns."
Mr. Trudeau commented that Mr. Trump's plan to increase tariffs by 25% on goods imported from Canada to the US "not only hurts Canadians, but actually increases prices for Americans and hurts American industry and businesses."
The proposed tariffs also threaten to scuttle the North American trade agreement negotiated during Mr Trump's first term.
A senior official told the AP that Canada is considering retaliatory tariffs on some U.S. goods if Trump imposes comprehensive tariffs on Canadian goods.
The Canadian government is preparing for all scenarios and has begun reviewing potential retaliatory tariffs, the source added.
However, the official noted, no concrete decision has been made on the matter yet.
Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, with 77% of Canadian exports going to the United States.
