Doug Ford says it's up to Donald Trump to de-escalate tensions with Canada

Hamilton Spectator

4 days ago

You first.
That's the message Premier Doug Ford has for U.S. President Donald Trump in the war of words over U.S. tariffs and his musings about Canada becoming his country's 51st state.
'Sure, you want me to tone it down. That's fine. The president has to tone it down,' Ford said Tuesday after a meeting with
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra.
'We need to bring the temperature down. We both agree on that,' the premier told reporters.
While Hoekstra — a former Republican congressman from Michigan — did not appear with Ford following the tete-a-tete, sources told the Star that
the premier's frequent hard-hitting remarks about Trump
have been an irritant.
'My job is to protect the people of Ontario,' Ford replied when asked about that, noting the ambassador did not raise 'this time' the sore spot of the LCBO removing Kentucky bourbon and other American products from store shelves.
'It's very simple: Drop your tariffs, we'll bring back the booze,' added the premier, who noted he nevertheless feels the two countries are 'getting closer' to working out their differences.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he is disappointed U.S. President Donald Trump is doubling steel and aluminum tariffs. The last time Trump threatened to raise that set of tariffs to 50 per cent it was in response to Ford placing a surcharge on electricity Ontario sends to three U.S. states. Ford agreed to remove it and Trump backed off that threat, but now with the 50 per cent tariff rate taking effect Wednesday, Ford says the Americans broke a promise. (June 3, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
Hoekstra said much the same to a luncheon audience of the Empire Club in a conversation with former federal Conservative cabinet minister Lisa Raitt, now vice-chair of global investment banking at CIBC.
'We are very positive about where the future of America, Canada, individually where we can go but also what we can achieve together,' the ambassador said. 'The relationship with Canada is so important.'
On the auto industry that Michigan and Ontario share, Hoekstra spoke of the need for co-operation — despite the disruption caused by tariffs and Trump's recent threat to raise steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 per cent on Wednesday.
'Our chief competitor here is China,' Hoekstra said. 'How do we use the strengths of the U.S. auto industry? How do we use the strengths and capabilities of Canada, and how do we bring those together in such a way that we're beating China and not each other?'
Ford, who has also pointed the finger of blame at China regarding auto parts and pledged to co-operate with the U.S. on that front, said the revived tariff threat on steel and aluminum left him 'disappointed.'
That's because the premier
pulled back Ontario's threat of a 25 per cent surcharge on electricity exports to three U.S. states on March 11
after the move alarmed Trump, who then agreed to reduce the steel and aluminum tariffs to 25 per cent as Ford secured an 'olive branch' meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary
Howard Lutnick.
'We take off the surcharge that we put on electricity and that promise was broken,' Ford lamented Tuesday. 'One person is controlling the message, their decisions, and that's the president.'