Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly heads to Washington next week to press the incoming Trump administration not to impose damaging tariffs on Canada.
President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico when he is inaugurated later this month.
Ministers on the Canada-U.S. cabinet committee met this morning to discuss the retaliatory measures they would deploy if those tariffs are applied, but they didn't speak with reporters afterwards.
Joly says she spoke this morning with U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham but has not said who is meeting with her in Washington next week.
She says Canada has a lot of work to do to influence "people around Trump" and convince them that Canadians "have leverage."
Joly also says she will not run for Liberal leadership because it would distract from her ministerial role during what she calls "a crucial time in the Canada-U.S. relationship."
She says Canada needs to be focused as it prepares to welcome Trump and other world leaders to the G7 summit in Alberta in June.
Joly says she believes she had "good chances" of winning the leadership. "I'm putting my country first," she told reporters this morning on Parliament Hill.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers will meet in Ottawa next week to discuss Canada's plan for responding to tariffs, including retaliatory measures.
