TORONTO (LifeSiteNews) — Ontario Premier Doug Ford imposed 25 percent electricity tariffs on three American states in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
During a March 6 interview with CNN, Ford announced that he is enforcing 25% tariffs on Canadian electricity used by residents and businesses in Minnesota, New York, and Michigan after Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all Canadian exports.
“This Monday, we’re putting a tariff, a 25 percent tariff, on the electricity to the 1.5 million homes and businesses in those three states,” Ford said. “And honestly, it really bothers me. We have to do this, but I don’t want to do this.”
Currently, Ontario is America’s largest English-speaking trading partner. If the province were a country, it would be the United States’ third largest trading partner after Mexico and China, according to the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
Additionally, Ontario supplies 85% hydroelectricity, electricity generated from hydropower, imported by the United States, according to Canada Energy Regulator data. Canada also provides 60% of crude oil and 99% of natural gas imported by the United States.
Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico were first scheduled to be enforced in February but were paused until March after negotiations.
On Monday, after a month of contentious relations with the U.S., Trump, citing lack of action on drug trafficking as the main reason, imposed 25 percent tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican exports.
Immediately on Tuesday after Trump imposed tariffs on Canada, all of the country’s premiers, including Danielle Smith of Alberta, announced that U.S. alcohol would be banned from liquor stores. Ford went as far as ordering all the booze cleared from shelves.
Similarly, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre responded to Trump’s tariffs, saying, “At 12 a.m., President Trump stabbed America’s best friend in the back.”
“My message to the president is this: Canada will fight back,” Poilievre added.
However, on March 6, just two days later, Trump appeared to have once again paused the tariffs.
In an announcement that did not mention Canada by name, Trump promised a 30-day reprieve on a 25 percent export tariffs for goods covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade.
“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay Tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement. This Agreement is until April 2nd,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
While Canada was not explicitly mentioned, the country is included under the USMC Agreement and that presumably means it also receives a tariff pause.
