{"id":15246,"date":"2025-02-06T00:55:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T00:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/06\/u-s-tariffs-can-be-avoided-if-border-progress-shown-defence-minister-national\/"},"modified":"2025-02-06T00:55:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T00:55:46","slug":"u-s-tariffs-can-be-avoided-if-border-progress-shown-defence-minister-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/06\/u-s-tariffs-can-be-avoided-if-border-progress-shown-defence-minister-national\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. tariffs can be avoided if border progress shown: defence minister – National"},"content":{"rendered":"


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After getting a 30-day tariff<\/a> reprieve from the U.S. government, Defence Minister Bill Blair<\/a> said he believes Canada can avoid further tariff threats if Ottawa can show the recent border plan is stopping the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey asked that we do a better job of policing our side of the border, and we\u2019ve agreed to invest significantly on that,\u201d Blair told Global News from Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we are able to demonstrate that those investments are producing real results for both of our countries \u2026 then we may be able to avoid a return to discussion with respect to tariffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

After agreeing to hold off on imposing tariffs on Canada on Monday<\/a>, U.S. President Donald Trump posted online that he was \u201cvery pleased with this initial outcome.\u201d He said the 30-day pause would allow for negotiations \u201cto see whether or not a final Economic deal with Canada can be structured.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The White House and Republican lawmakers have praised Trump\u2019s tariff threat for securing new border security commitments from Canada and Mexico.<\/p>\n

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On Monday, the Canadian government agreed to spend another $200 million to back \u201ca new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl,\u201d appoint a \u201cfentanyl czar,\u201d<\/a> and list drug cartels as terrorist organizations, in addition to $1.3 billion in border spending first announced in December.<\/p>\n

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As a part of that deal to pause the 25 per cent tarrifs, Canada will send nearly 10,000 frontline personnel to the border, but Blair says that will not include any Canadian Armed Forces members.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not deploying the armed forces to our border. It\u2019s not what\u2019s required,\u201d Blair told Global News.<\/p>\n

He added CAF members patrolling the border was not something offered by the Canadian government or asked for by the Trump administration during negotiations.<\/p>\n

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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to send 10,000 Mexican Armed Forces members to the U.S.-Mexico border, as part of a package to get a 30-day pause on tariffs from the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has called on Canada to do the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cSend Canadian Forces troops, helicopters [and] surveillance to the border now,\u201d Poilievre said on Monday, before the Canadian tariffs were paused.<\/p>\n