Donald Trump continued his feud with Canadian leaders with a promise that ‘we’ll just get it all back’ when reciprocal tariffs go into effect next month.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford followed through on a promise to put a 25% tariff on Canadian electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota on Monday.
Ford, who runs Canada‘s most populous province, has even threatened to ‘shut the electricity off completely’ if America continues to ‘escalate.’
Trump has shot back, mocking Ford’s plan and saying that his promise of reciprocal tariffs will render anything Ontario does useless.
‘Despite the fact that Canada is charging the USA from 250% to 390% Tariffs on many of our farm products, Ontario just announced a 25% surcharge on ‘electricity,’ of all things, and you’re not even allowed to do that,’ he said in a Truth Social.
However, Trump said that the US will ‘just get it all back on April 2,’ when the administration’s reciprocal tariff plan goes into effect.
Trump continued to take shots at his neighbors to the north as a whole before declaring he was on the way to making America great again.
‘Canada is a Tariff abuser, and always has been, but the United States is not going to be subsidizing Canada any longer. We don’t need your Cars, we don’t need your Lumber, we don’t your Energy, and very soon, you will find that out,’ he promised.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford followed through on a promise to put a 25% tariff on Canadian electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota on Monday
Donald Trump continued his feud with Canadian leaders with a promise that ‘we’ll just get it all back’ when reciprocal tariffs go into effect next month
Ford told reporters on Monday: ”If the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely. Believe me when I say I do not want to do this, I feel terrible for the American people, because it’s not the American people who started this trade war. It’s one person who’s responsible. That’s President Trump.’
Over the weekend, Ford said Canada was not backing down despite Trump deciding on Thursday that he would postpone 25 percent tariffs on many imports from Mexico and Canada by a month.
On Friday, Trump later reversed course again and threatened Canada with a 250 percent tax on its dairy and another tariff on lumber as soon as next week.
When asked by Fox Business whether he would relent on Canada’s reciprocal tariffs, Ford said he would only do so once Trump stops threatening his allies.
‘Canadians love Americans. I love Americans. It’s been 20 years of my life. But in saying that, no, we’re going to put a 25 percent tariff on electricity coming from Ontario to Michigan, New York and Minnesota,’ he said.
‘Isn’t this a shame. It’s an absolute mess… he’s created chaos.’
In a post to X sharing his remarks, Ford added: ‘The only thing that’s certain today is more uncertainty. A pause on some tariffs means nothing. Until President Trump removes the threat of tariffs for good, we will be relentless.’
According to Ford, not every resident across the three states will be impacted, however at least 1.5 million Americans will see their energy bills increase as a result of the tariffs.
Trump has shot back, mocking Ford’s plan and saying that his promise of reciprocal tariffs will render anything Ontario does useless
Ford did not refer to Trump by name in his Fox Business appearance on Friday, but slammed the president and said his tariffs were contradictory to his election promises.
‘He ran on a mandate to lower costs, lower inflation, create more jobs. It’s the total opposite; people are going to be losing their jobs in the U.S. and in Canada,’ Ford fumed.
Ford lamented the impact that tariffs will have on everyday Americans and Canadians, adding: ‘The market is going downhill quicker than the American bobsled team right now, and it’s unacceptable.
‘The situation he has put American families in, Canadian families and around the world, it’s just going to hurt.’
In a previous interview with Global News, Ford said he would impose the tariffs whether Trump went ahead with his tariffs or not, insisting: ‘We have to follow through.’
The new tariffs will be the most sweeping since America put in place 50 per cent tariffs on all manufacturing goods in 1890.
Those tariffs were formulated by the 25th president William McKinley, who Trump has dubbed the ‘tariff king’.
‘Tariffs are good, tariffs are great actually,’ said Trump as he signed the new order while putting them in place.
President Donald Trump signed an order imposing ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on other nations
He said U.S. prices ‘could go up’ due to the tariffs, amid fears of prolonged trade disputes.
Trump had hyped the order online as a signal event, using a phrase he often applies to orders he wants to highlight.
‘TODAY IS THE BIG ONE: RECIPROCAL TARIFFS!!! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!’
A senior White House officials described the massive reach of the tariffs, which will extend far beyond the tariffs that other nations impose on the U.S to encompass ‘burdensome regulatory requirements’, exchange rates that lead to ‘undervalued currencies,’ and tax structures that may disadvantage the U.S.
‘It’s patently obvious on its face that they are cheating us,’ said a senior White House.
The ‘reciprocal’ part of the tariffs taxes imports at the same rate other nations apply to U.S. exports – although the definitions being applied by the White House give Trump plenty of leeway to hike tariffs on a nation if he sees fit.
The official described how the order would take into account a series of ‘non-tariff barriers’ that the administration says hurt the U.S.
Before teasing even more tariffs, Trump surprised some with his decision on Thursday to postpone some of his tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, amid widespread fears of the economic fallout from a border trade war.
While Trump has said the tariffs are focused on stopping fentanyl trafficking into the United States, they have had a quick impact on the stock market and economy.
Continuing his combative rhetoric towards Canada since retaking office, Trump this week accused outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of using the drama surrounding their tariff war to try and ‘stay in power.’
Trudeau announced his resignation in January, but in an explosive call on Wednesday between the two leaders, Trump claimed he tore into his northern counterpart.
‘Justin Trudeau, of Canada, called me to ask what could be done about Tariffs. I told him that many people have died from Fentanyl that came through the Borders of Canada and Mexico, and nothing has convinced me that it has stopped,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
‘He said that it’s gotten better, but I said, “That’s not good enough.”‘ he went on.
Trump said the call ended in a ‘somewhat’ friendly manner but blamed the Canadian prime minister of using the tariffs tussle to ‘stay in power.’
‘He was unable to tell me when the Canadian Election is taking place, which made me curious, like, what’s going on here? I then realized he is trying to use this issue to stay in power. Good luck Justin!’
Trump went on to add that Trudeau’s policies were ‘responsible for the death of many people’ due to fentanyl.
