All 13 of Canada's provincial and territorial leaders were in the US capital as the country seeks to avoid punitive trade tariffs.

At the moment, the U.S. is threatening two actions: a worldwide tariff of 25 per cent on steel and aluminum starting March 12, and it has also paused, until March 4, the threat of an economy-wide 25 per cent tariff on Canada and Mexico while it works on border-security deals with both countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump's planned 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports would be added onto other levies on Canadian goods, resulting in a total 50% tariff, a White House official said on Tuesday.