By Paul Vieira

OTTAWA--In his first public comments about his dinner last week with President-elect Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he addressed trade issues related to steel, aluminum, energy and softwood.

In the Canadian legislature on Tuesday, Trudeau spoke for the first time, excluding social-media posts, about his surprise visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Fla. Trudeau said he spoke to the President-elect about "the major challenges facing our citizens," such as the economy, border security, and stemming the flow of illegal drugs on the continent.

He added that he spoke to Trump about Canadian exports of steel and aluminum, which faced tariffs during the first Trump administration. Trudeau added the two North American leaders discussed energy trade and softwood lumber, with the latter the subject of a decades-long trade skirmish between the two countries.

Trudeau made the surprise visit late last Friday for what officials describe as a convivial three-hour dinner. The visit came after Trump pledged to impose a 25% tariff on imports from both Canada and Mexico due to concerns about border security.

Canada's Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the government would deploy additional drones, helicopters and border agents to help address Trump worries.

Nearly three-quarters of Canadian exports are U.S. bound. Two-way trade between the countries totaled nearly $1 trillion in 2022, according to the latest available data from the U.S. Trade Representative.

Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-03-24 1532ET