Ontario premier Doug Ford has said he is ready to cut off electricity exports to the US in Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods.
Speaking at a mining convention in Toronto on Monday, the Canadian premier said: “If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything — including cut off their energy with a smile on my face.
“They rely on our energy, they need to feel the pain. They want to come at us hard, we’re going to come back twice as hard.”
America is hugely reliant on Canada for its energy, with the North American nation being the top oil supplier to the US. It also provides some electricity to 30 per cent of US states.
Ford suggested Canada’s federal and provincial governments are unified in their approach to fighting US tariffs, adding he was ready to go dollar-for-dollar in matching the tariffs, the Toronto Sun reports.
“The provinces have a big say in it, but it’s the federal government that’s leading the charge, and we’re going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder no matter who’s in the federal government,” he said.
“I [didn’t] start this tariff war, but we’re going to win this tariff war.”
Speaking to NBC News, Ford said: “I’m going after absolutely everything, and I don’t want to. We keep the lights on to 1.5 million homes in New York, in Michigan, in Minnesota.
“If he [Trump] wants to destroy our economy and our families, I will shut down the electricity going to the US. I’m telling you we will do it.”
Tuesday marks the first day that Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports will come into effect, as part of the president’s trade war strategy.
The tariffs had been delayed for 30 days, but that period has now expired.
America has also implemented 20 per cent tariffs on China.
All three countries have said they will retaliate, with Canada set to hit the US with 25 per cent tariffs on $150bn worth of US goods.
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