U.S. President Joe Biden thanked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, calling him a “friend,” and adding “the world is better off because of him.”
Biden wrote in a statement that he spoke with Trudeau on Monday. That day, Trudeau announced he would step down from Liberal leadership and eventually relinquish his position as prime minister.
“Over the last decade, Prime Minister Trudeau has led with commitment, optimism, and strategic vision. The U.S.-Canada alliance is stronger because of him. The American and Canadian people are safer because of him. And the world is better off because of him,” wrote the president.
Trudeau assumed power in 2015 towards the end of Barack Obama’s presidency. Biden was vice-president then. Nearly a decade later, Biden is preparing to hand the keys to the Oval Office to president-elect Donald Trump, and Trudeau is leaving the Prime Minister’s Office as the country braces for a tariff war with the United States.
“Together, we’ve tackled some of the toughest issues our nations faced in decades,” the letter continues, “from the COVID-19 pandemic, to climate change, to the scourge of fentanyl.”
The last point – the “scourge of fentanyl” – will remain a sticking point between Trump and the next prime minister. The president-elect mentioned controlling the dangerous drug as a condition to avoid 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S. when he assumes power.
Trudeau has met with the incoming president to address the tariffs, which could seriously impact trade between the two countries. Last year, the U.S. exported C$461.5 billion in goods to Canada and imported C$540.3 billion. The U.S. International Trade Association called the trade relationship the world’s largest and most comprehensive, supporting millions of jobs in each country.
“We have made generational investments to strengthen our supply chains and rebuild our economies from the bottom up and middle out—establishing North America as the most economically competitive region in the world,” Biden wrote.
“I am proud to call him my friend. And I will be forever grateful for his partnership and leadership.”
