New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc visited the Oval Office for the first time this week to join Prime Minister Mark Carney for a sit-down with President Donald Trump.
The topic of conversation was economics and LeBlanc said Trump was “very respectful and very interested” when Carney spoke — even when the cameras were off.
“That sort of constructive, cordial, businesslike tone continued after the public portion that people saw in the Oval Office,” said LeBlanc.
This was Carney’s first face-to-face meeting with Trump since his recent election win.
Trump was interested in what the two countries could do together to “deal with other global economic threats, obviously you can think of China,” said LeBlanc.
LeBlanc said Trump shared that he followed the Canadian election and watched Carney’s debate prior to election day.
Trump was also interested in the projects Carney discussed during his campaign.
International Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc accompanied Prime Minister Mark Carney on his first visit to the White House to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
LeBlanc said Trump listened “carefully” when Carney made his arguments about why tariffing each other is “not in the economic interest of both countries.”
The U.S. has imposed steel and aluminum tariffs of 25 per cent and a 25 per cent tariff on some cars and car parts.
As well, Canada faces a 25 per cent tariff on all goods that are not part of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement, with some exceptions.
Progress on the home front
Canada has responded to the trade war with the U.S. by trying to strengthen its domestic economy. Even after a positive meeting in Washington, LeBlanc hopes the interest to strengthen interprovincial trade will continue.
“I hope it doesn’t in any way diminish the enthusiasm and the desire of Canadians to … build one truly Canadian economy, remove these interprovincial trade barriers.”
LeBlanc said the government’s “No. 1 objective” is to remove tariffs but that doesn’t change the reliability of the U.S. as a trading partner.
“The prime minister has said, ‘We can no longer rely on the United States to the extent we did as an economic partner.’ We need to look at other economic partnerships.”
For LeBlanc, those new “partnerships” start at home in Canada and then extend to “Europe and other partners.”
LeBlanc reiterated the government’s pledge that all revenue generated from retaliatory tariffs will be “recycled” to support affected businesses and workers.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has been a “first-class partner” while working through these plans, according to LeBlanc.
Good ‘reset’ for relationship
LeBlanc appreciated Trump’s demeanour and said the two groups had a productive working lunch following the Oval Office meeting.
He said the meeting was a good “reset” on relations between the two countries. Trump publicly expressed his displeasure for working with Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland in the past.
Most recently, LeBlanc was minister of international trade under Carney and has held many prominent cabinet positions, including finance minister under Trudeau.
LeBlanc has been an MP in the Beauséjour riding — which encompasses Sackville, Shediac and Richibucto — since 2000.
He said he was “happy to have the opportunity” to join Carney on the trip.
LeBlanc also joined Canadian MPs Mélanie Joly and David McGuinty on the couches of the Oval Office, and others took part in the private lunch.
On the U.S. side, Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick took part.
LeBlanc said he heard from Lutnick while travelling back from Washington.
“I spoke to Secretary Lutnick on Tuesday evening for 20 minutes. So we’re continuing, I hope, a process that will lead to those tariffs being lifted,” he said.
