OTTAWA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly are in U.S. Florida's Palm Beach area to talk with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team, local media reported Friday.
A statement from LeBlanc's office said the visit is to underscore "Canada's efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration and the measures outlined in Canada's Border Plan."
According to the report, the ministers are to determine if Trump is satisfied with the new border investments Canada announced 10 days ago.
The Canadian federal government announced the plan to bolster border security and strengthen the immigration system in response to Trump's threat to impose a 25-percent tariff on all Canadian imports unless Canada stops illegal immigration and the smuggling of the opioid fentanyl into U.S. territory. Ottawa earmarked 1.3 billion Canadian dollars (907 million U.S. dollars) over six years to strengthen U.S.-Canada border security.
The ministers look forward to building on the discussions that took place when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump last month, said the report.
Recently Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the "51st state" and to Trudeau as the "governor" of Canada. ■
