According to the Daily Mail, the two leaders reportedly spoke about the possibility of "money, people and political/media support" from the United States during their conversation, during which Biden also expressed concern about rumors of a separate convoy that was going to blockade Washington, DC.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who testified at the Emergencies Act inquiry on Thursday, sent out an email to staffers in Ottawa at the time describing the Biden administration as being "very, very, very worried" and fearful that "all of their northeastern car plants will shut down" if the convoy was not shut down within 12 hours.
"The danger was, were we in the process as a country of doing long-term, and possibly irreparable harm to our trading relationship with the United States?" Freeland said on Thursday's inquiry.
The Freedom Convoy, which was demanding that vaccine mandates come to an end among other things, was at this point blocking the Ambassador Bridge at the US-Canada border and disrupting trade and travel.
Despite this blockage of vital trade routes often being used as justification for the Emergencies Act, which was invoked on February 14, the Ambassador Bridge was cleared of protesters by the time Trudeau announced it.
On February 13, Freeland met with some of Canada's top bankers and also conversed with the CEO of one of Canada's largest steel companies, who expressed that the blockade was affecting their business.
Freeland responded by telling him that Canada was "determined to bring this to an end quickly."
The invocation of the Emergencies Act gave the government sweeping powers to perform such overbearing acts as freezing bank accounts and towing vehicles.
"We will not and cannot allow these illegal and dangerous activities to continue," Trudeau said at the time. "There are other ways to express yourselves without engaging in illegal and dangerous activities."
The upset amongst the protesters was widespread.
"It's pretty sad how the government can shut down the economy for two years and small businesses completely lose their livelihoods," said one protester who spoke to the Daily Mail at the time, "but the second we start affecting the government and the big businesses and big corporations is when they put their foot down and when they start having issues."
Trudeau is set to testify on Friday, the final day of the Emergencies Act inquiry, where he will likely face questions regarding this conversation.
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