Doug Ford wants Canada to double its own tariffs against the US

Politico

3 days ago

OTTAWA — Ontario Premier Doug Ford is urging Canada's prime minister to retaliate against the United States after it doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. But Prime Minister Mark Carney is holding off, arguing he's close to striking a new trade deal with President Donald Trump.
Ford and Carney aired their clashing approaches on Wednesday, as the Ontario premier accused the PM of being bullied by the U.S.
'You're either standing up for Canada and protecting people's jobs, their livelihoods,' Ford told reporters in Toronto Wednesday. 'Or you sit back and get steamrolled. That's not what I'm going to do.'
Carney declined to comment on Ford's remarks as he left his national caucus meeting.
Ford told CNN's 'The Situation Room' earlier on Wednesday that he 'highly recommended to the prime minister directly that we slap another 25 percent on top of our tariffs, to equal President Trump's tariffs on our steel.'
Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the U.S., from 25 percent to 50 percent. In March, Canada imposed 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on a list of U.S. steel and aluminum products totaling C$15.6 billion.
Carney wouldn't say if he's prepared to retaliate again.
'We will take some time, not much, some time because we are in intensive discussions right now with the Americans on the trading relationship,' Carney told reporters in Ottawa. 'Those discussions are progressing. I would note that the American action is a global action. It's not one targeted in Canada, so we will take some time, but not more.'
Ford, who is considering a 25 percent tax on electricity exports from Ontario to the United States, cast doubt that a deal is coming.
'Deal or no deal, if it's coming soon, well, President Trump wouldn't be doing what he's doing,' Ford told reporters after Carney's comments.
'We can't sit back and let President Trump steamroll us, try to shut down our steel industry, take jobs down to the U.S. He has no regard for jobs here in Ontario.'
Ford is not ruling out his own retaliatory measures, including adding a surcharge on the electricity his province sends to the homes and businesses of 1.5 million Americans in Michigan, Minnesota and New York.
'Just seems with President Trump it's five steps forward and 10 steps backward, and that doesn't help,' Ford said in his CNN interview.
In March, Ford slapped a 25 percent tax on electricity exported to the United States after the U.S. threatened 50 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada.
The tax caught the attention of the Trump administration, which led to Ford securing a meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Ford described it as an 'olive branch,' and he ultimately dropped the tax.
Now Ford is considering bringing it back.
'Everything is on the table right now,' he said in Toronto. 'We had an agreement before that he was going to take the other 25 percent, to keep it at 25 percent, and unfortunately they broke a verbal agreement.'
Ford is expected to speak later on Wednesday with Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who just returned from Washington, where he met Lutnick.
'I'll be all over him,' Ford said of his meeting with LeBlanc.