Frontrunners include Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney, who are making the case they can guide Canada through domestic and international issues. At the top of the list: mounting trade tensions with the United States.

Liberal party members will select a successor to Trudeau, who earlier this year announced his resignation facing deep unpopularity, on March 9.

Americans would never accept another nation threatening our country the way Trump insists on doing with Canada

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday railed against what he called tremendously high Canadian tariffs on dairy and lumber, and said his administration could soon impose reciprocal tariffs on Canadian products.