Joly to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio as tariff threat looms

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is back in Washington, D.C., today to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as Canada faces the threat of devastating tariffs landing as early as Saturday.

Joly said Monday that she still believes diplomacy can fend off President Donald Trump's plan to slap Canada with 25 per cent across-the-board duties. Joly spoke with Rubio by phone last week and described the new secretary of state as a "good interlocutor." This will be Joly’s fifth visit to the U.S. since last November's presidential election.

Joly has met with multiple American lawmakers to talk about how the duties would damage the economies of both countries, and to share information about Canada's $1.3 billion border plan, implemented in response to Trump's tariff threats. Ottawa has prepared multiple options for retaliatory tariffs, depending on what Trump ultimately does.