Canada Plans Border Security Upgrades to Avoid U.S. Tariffs, Address Trump's Concerns

After several days of intense back-and-forth jabs between Donald Trump and Canadian Primer Minister Justin Trudeau that stem from the American's threats of tariffs on Canadian goods once his administration begins, the Canadian government is now formulating a comprehensive plan to address border security concerns and appease the United States president-elect.

The proposed measures include deploying drones and canine units to monitor border crossings and reducing non-essential foot traffic as well as investments in new technologies such as lab testing to curb fentanyl trafficking and improved databases to share background information on travelers.

These actions discussed by Trudeau and provincial leaders, aim to address U.S. criticisms of perceived gaps in Canada's border security, voiced by Tom Homan, Trump's designated border czar, according to a new report by The New York Times.

The Trudeau administration intends to finalize details, including costs and timelines, before presenting the plan to the incoming U.S. administration, although sources told the Times that a preliminary budget outlining the financial implications will be unveiled next week.

The threats by Trump, who has said he would impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports, have place massive pressure on Trudeau and mobilized several of the country's provincial leaders.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose province has strong economic ties to the U.S., has called for decisive action and suggested retaliatory measures, including energy supply disruptions to U.S. states while Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has emphasized the need to take Trump's demands seriously, reflecting growing urgency to prevent economic fallout:

"The prime minister and his public safety minister have a pretty robust approach to how we're going to work together. I think he understands that with this president, he means what he says. And so when he says that the border is an issue — do something about it, we've got to take it a lot more seriously."

Canada's response also comes amid tense political relations between Trudeau and Trump, underscored by recent public exchanges. On Tuesday the Canadian called Kamala Harris' defeat in the past elections a setback for gender representation in politics, a comment that drew the attention of close Trump ally Elon Musk who replied to a post of a video of Mr. Trudeau's comment on X, his social media platform, saying: "He's such an insufferable tool. Won't be in power for much longer."