The Minister of Security admits that meeting Trump's demands may not necessarily avoid tariffs

Canadian Minister of Public Safety David McGuinty stated that despite recent measures taken by the federal government to strengthen border security and combat drug trafficking, he has not received any clear assurances about whether Canada can avoid US President Trump's tariffs.

McGuinty said in an interview with CTV Power Play on Thursday, 'I personally haven't heard such a guarantee, but that doesn't mean we will stop working hard. We will continue to implement (relevant measures).'.

Earlier this month, Canada was granted at least a 30 day reprieve, avoiding Trump's threat to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports (with energy products facing a 10% tariff). These tariffs may take effect as early as March 4th.

Designate drug trafficking groups as terrorist organizations

In response, the Canadian government on Thursday fulfilled one of its new commitments by listing seven criminal organizations (including drug trafficking groups involved in fentanyl trafficking) as terrorist organizations under the Criminal Code.

Previously, Canada typically only listed groups such as ISIS or Al Qaeda on its terrorist organization list. On the same day, the United States also listed these groups as foreign terrorist organizations.

When asked by host Vassy Kapelos if this measure is directly aimed at Trump, McGuinty described it as "an ongoing, dynamic evaluation process

He said, "Officials have been evaluating different organizations and actors to see if they have met the threshold for being recognized as a terrorist organization. If you look at the atrocities committed by these groups in Canada and globally, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, murder, and kidnapping and assassination of politicians, our intelligence agencies have made a judgment

Canada strengthens border controls, reducing fentanyl smuggling by 97%

When asked if these organizations would still be listed as terrorist organizations without Trump's tariff threat, McGuinty did not directly answer.

McGuinty said that if the President and Prime Minister believe in negotiations that this measure will help prevent tariffs from being implemented, we think it's a good thing.

Canada collaborates with the United States to combat fentanyl trafficking

When asked why measures were not taken earlier if the fentanyl issue was "so serious in Canada," McGuinty admitted that this move was also in response to US concerns.

This is not only about Canada, but also about our largest trading partner, ally, and neighboring countries. The United States has made it clear that they are concerned about the fentanyl issue, and we have taken action

McGuinty said that listing these drug trafficking groups as terrorist organizations would give law enforcement agencies "additional powers to help track, identify the source of funds, and intervene and strike

McGuinty added, 'The measures we are taking will help prevent fentanyl from flowing onto Canadian streets while also preventing it from entering the United States.'.

The Director of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Mike Duhem, also confirmed on the same day that drug trafficking groups are indeed operating within Canadian territory.

Duhem said, 'Our intelligence shows that different drug trafficking groups are operating in Canada. In addition, we have strong intelligence that Canadian citizens have migrated to Mexico and South America to facilitate the smuggling of specific commodities into the country.'.

As part of the newly launched $1.3 billion border security plan, the Canadian government has appointed a "fentanyl commissioner" and deployed additional personnel, drones, surveillance equipment, and helicopters to the border.

The latest data shows that the interception of fentanyl is decreasing. According to data from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the interception of fentanyl smuggled from Canada to the United States decreased by 97% between December 2024 and January 2025.

Canadian officials have repeatedly emphasized that less than 1% of fentanyl intercepted at the US border comes from Canada.

Despite another tariff deadline approaching, McGuinty remains "very optimistic" that tariffs can be avoided.

McGuinty said in an interview, 'We know that what we are doing has been noticed and understood by the American side, including Trump and his administration.'.

Source link:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/no-assurance-canada-can-escape-trump-tariffs-despite-new-border-measures-minister-says/