President Trump on Monday greeted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House for meetings expected to focus on economic ties between the neighboring countries.
The two men smiled and shook hands when Mr. Trudeau arrived at the White House for his first meeting with the new U.S. president whose pledge to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) rattled Canadians.
Mr. Trump aimed most of his criticism at Mexico when vowing to redo the NAFTA deal between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. But Canada, which sends 75 percent of its exports to the U.S., has much to lose if the deal gets scrapped or dramatically rewritten.
As he seeks to strengthen the relationship on economics and security, Mr. Trudeau, a liberal superstar, is expected to tip-toe around the thorny issue of refugees and immigration where he strongly opposes Mr. Trump’s stance.
The one-day visit by Mr. Trudeau began with a meeting with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, followed by an expanded bilateral meeting. The two leaders later will preside over a round-table discussion with female business executives organized by Mr. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.
After a joint press conference with Mr. Trump, the Canadian prime minister is scheduled to travel down Pennsylvania Avenue to meet with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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