Canada has pledged to implement a set of sweeping new security measures along the country’s US border, including stronger surveillance and a joint “strike force” to target transnational organized crime.
The pledge comes after President-elect Donald Trump, after taking office in January, threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods if the country opened its shared border to illegal immigrants and illegal drugs. Does not protect against leakage.
Economists say such tariffs could hurt Canada’s economy.
Announcing details of the project, Canada’s Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs said the federal government would allocate C$1.3bn ($900m; £700bn) to the project.
Minister Dominique LeBlanc said on Tuesday that the measures would “secure our border against illegal drug flows and irregular immigration while ensuring the free flow of people and goods that are central to North America’s prosperity”.
The plan’s five pillars include disrupting the fentanyl trade, new law enforcement tools, better coordination with U.S. law enforcement agencies, increased information sharing and limiting traffic across the border.
These include a proposed aerial surveillance task force, including helicopters, drones and mobile surveillance towers between ports of entry.
The government is also funding the Canada Border Service Agency to train new dog teams to detect illegal drugs, and new detection equipment for high-risk ports of entry.
And LeBlanc provided more details on the so-called “joint strike force” for Canadian and U.S. officials, saying it would include “operational surges, dedicated synthetic drug units, expanded joint forces, special enforcement units, inter- will include international integrated enforcement teams, and new operational capacity and infrastructure”.
The new plan appears to be consistent with concerns Trump has expressed publicly in recent weeks: fentanyl and the flow of undocumented immigrants into the United States.
According to US Border Patrol data on immigrant encounters, the number of crossings at the US-Canada border is significantly lower than at the southern border, according to the amount of fentanyl seized.
Mexico also faces the threat of a 25% tariff.
LeBlanc said he and other officials had “preliminary” discussions with Trump’s incoming “border czar,” Tom Homan, about the new plan.
“I’m encouraged by this conversation,” he said.
LeBlanc was present at a meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month, reportedly aimed at ending the levy.
The announcement comes on LeBlanc’s first day as Canada’s finance minister.
Monday’s hasty swearing-in followed the sudden resignation of Trudeau’s longtime ally Chrystia Freeland, who has served as both finance minister and deputy prime minister.
Freeland left his posts with an open letter to Trudeau outlining his disagreements with him on spending and “the best way forward for Canada.”
His sudden exit from the cabinet Added pressure. On Trudeau’s weak minority government.
On Tuesday, in an address to the party faithful at the Liberal holiday event, a defiant Trudeau said there were “always tough days and big challenges” in politics.
“But this team doesn’t have the longest minority record in Canadian history because we shy away from those moments, we put in the work, whether it’s easy or hard.”