Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to meet with the country’s premiers Wednesday afternoon, after they requested an urgent meeting on US-Canadian relations ahead of the incoming Donald Trump administration.

This request came on Monday, before the US President-elect threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on goods coming from Canada and Mexico.

Trudeau and the prime ministers will hold a virtual meeting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Trump said in a social media post Monday night that he would keep the tariffs in place until Canada and Mexico stop illegal border crossings and prevent drugs like fentanyl from entering the United States.

2:49
‘We need to be strong’: Calls for Canadian unity on Trump’s tariff threats

The House of Commons held an emergency debate on the threat on Tuesday night, at the request of the NDP and Conservatives.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said during the discussion that Canada is the largest export market for the United States, and this includes essentials such as oil, electricity and important minerals.

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“Canada is essential to the United States’ domestic energy supply,” she said.

Freeland added that law enforcement and border agencies from both countries are working to disrupt the arrival of fentanyl from countries such as China.

“Canada is fully committed to working with our American neighbors to ensure their northern border is fully secured,” she added.

4:49
“Where is our response plan?”: Poilievre, Singh call on Trudeau to respond to Trump’s tariffs

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Trudeau should have been better prepared.

“President Trump was saying he would do it. He was elected three weeks ago. “You would have thought that the prime minister was planning hard, preparing, meeting chief ministers and talking about a counter plan during that period,” he said.

“And now we know that since the threat was made, he has come up with exactly one response, which is a Zoom call.”

Poilievre said Canada needs a “real plan.”

NDP MP Blake Desjarlais called on Canada to diversify its trade away from the United States.

He said Canada needs to show the United States and Trump “that our industries are not only the best industries and produce the best quality, but they are also desirable elsewhere,” such as Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press