{"id":16322,"date":"2025-02-12T12:59:42","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T12:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/12\/trudeau-meeting-nato-eu-leaders-as-u-s-tariff-threat-continues-national\/"},"modified":"2025-02-12T12:59:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T12:59:42","slug":"trudeau-meeting-nato-eu-leaders-as-u-s-tariff-threat-continues-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/12\/trudeau-meeting-nato-eu-leaders-as-u-s-tariff-threat-continues-national\/","title":{"rendered":"Trudeau meeting NATO, EU leaders as U.S. tariff threat continues – National"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau<\/a> is in Brussels Wednesday as Canada works to deepen its trade and defence ties with Europe.<\/p>\n

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The prime minister landed in the Belgian capital around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. His one-day visit includes a meeting with NATO<\/a> secretary-general Mark Rutte and the European Union\u2019s<\/a> two most senior leaders.<\/p>\n

Ursula von der Leyen has been president of the European Commission since 2019, and her job involves directing the EU\u2019s policy agenda and legislation.<\/p>\n

Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa has been president of the European Council since last December, and his role sets overall priorities for the bloc.<\/p>\n

Trudeau is scheduled to hold an afternoon press conference before departing for Ottawa.<\/p>\n

His visit comes after years of growing trade ties between Canada and Europe.<\/p>\n

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Ottawa has signed agreements to export hydrogen to Germany and launched talks with Brussels on how Canada can supply critical minerals for things like electrical vehicles.<\/p>\n

That collaboration might deepen as European leaders join Canadians in pushing back on U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s threats of damaging tariffs and territorial expansion.<\/p>\n

Trump signed an order Feb. 1 to impose punishing tariffs on Canada \u2014 10 per cent on energy and 25 per cent on all other imports \u2014 but paused them until March 4 pending what he called an effort to make an economic deal with Canada. He has also repeatedly blasted EU policies and threatened to impose tariffs on European goods, singling out the European auto industry in particular.<\/p>\n

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The president\u2019s repeated remarks about purchasing or annexing Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, have also prompted emergency meetings of EU leaders. Their concerns echo those of Trudeau, who said last week that Trump\u2019s stated desire to make Canada a U.S. state is \u201ca real thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Liberals have said increased trade with Europe is one of the options they\u2019re leaning on to navigate a more uncertain relationship with the U.S.<\/p>\n

Trade between Canada and EU countries has been rising since a free trade deal came into force provisionally in 2017 \u2014 despite the fact that some countries, including Belgium and France, have avoided full ratification.<\/p>\n

Ties between Canada and the EU could be further bolstered through a defence and security pact now being negotiated.<\/p>\n

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A Jan. 9 agenda for the EU council\u2019s permanent representatives committee, which co-ordinates the body\u2019s high-level plans, included an item seeking \u201cauthorization to negotiate\u201d a protocol for an eventual \u201cEU-Canada security and defence partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brussels started forming security pacts with other countries last year, after taking up the idea in the wake of Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.<\/p>\n