The week began with President-elect Donald J. Trump threatening to impose a 25 percent tariff on everything that Canada exports to the United States. It ended with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flying down to join him for dinner at Mar-a-Lago.

ImagePrime Minister Justin Trudeau leaving his hotel on Friday to meet President-elect Donald J. Trump.Credit...Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times

[Read: Trump Plans Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China That Could Cripple Trade]

[Read: Trudeau Flies to Mar-a-Lago to See Trump Amid Tariff Concerns]

Matina Stevis-Gridneff, our Toronto bureau chief, reports that the dinner was attended by top aides from both countries and lasted about three hours.

But at its end, no one offered any insight into what it may have achieved.

During his first presidency, Mr. Trump did slap tariffs on exports of aluminum and steel from Canada, Mexico and the European Union on ostensible national security grounds. Mr. Trudeau’s government eventually negotiated those duties away, although not without a brief period during which Mr. Trump reimposed the aluminum levy.

This week, as is often the case with Mr. Trump, skepticism emerged about whether he would follow through with his plan to introduce the tariffs, along with 10 percent duties on China, during his first day in office, Jan. 20.

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