Sticking to his push for retaliatory tariffs against the United States, Premier Doug Ford insists he’s not in a spat with Prime Minister Mark Carney for scrapping some Canadian levies in hopes of reaching a trade deal.
“I wouldn’t call it a disagreement,” Ford said Tuesday in Caledon, where he announced construction will soon begin on the controversial Highway 413.
“We have to fight fire with fire, but we’ll see how the prime minister makes out,” he added. “I believe in being firm.”
Ford emphasized Ontario’s ban on the sale of American wine, beer and spirits like Kentucky bourbon will continue “until they cut the tariffs or we make a deal with them.”
“It’s not coming on our shelves,” he added, noting Ontario wine sales are up in LCBO stores.
Carney moved Friday to axe tariffs on American goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), with Canadian tariffs remaining on goods not covered by that deal and the government focusing on industries U.S. President Donald Trump has targeted.
While he promised an “elbows-up” approach with Trump during the spring election campaign, Carney said the change in tactics — which came a day after he talked to Trump — is “vital” to preserve a trade relationship with the U.S.
“Canada currently has the best trade deal with the United States,” the prime minister told reporters in Ottawa after a virtual cabinet meeting. “While it is different from what we had before, it is still better than that of any other country.”
Before leaving office, former prime minister Justin Trudeau slapped worth $30 billion worth of U.S. goods with 25 per cent tariffs, aiming at items like bourbon and Florida orange juice to put pressure on Republicans in the U.S. Congress as well as the Trump administration.
Ford said he doesn’t sense there will be another trade deal for a “few months.”
“But you never know with President Trump. He can pull the carpet out from underneath us in a heartbeat, like he has before.” he said. “Or they get rid of their tariffs and then we’ll bring the booze back into the LCBO. And if they don’t, they aren’t getting booze on our shelves.”
The premier added that there is no need yet to dump certain U.S. alcohol products nearing best-before dates.
“We still have a few months before anything expires, and we’ll take it from there.”
