President-elect Donald Trump's threat of tariffs against Canada has resulted in a push in the country from the worlds of academia to politics to preserve, not punish, trade with the U.S.

Canada's response to the tariff threat will be at the centre of today's first ministers' meeting, which the premiers requested to get a better sense of what Ottawa has planned for the weeks ahead. Most of the 13 premiers will be in the nation's capital, while some will join the conversation virtually.

The country’s leaders are trying to persuade the new administration to hold off while also seeking ways to inflict pain in a tariff spat.