Ontario putting 25 per cent surcharge on U.S.-bound electricity Monday: Ford

“You touch the stove once, you get burned, you don’t touch that stove again,” Ford said.  

“We’re going to make sure that we follow through with what we said we were going to do.”

Ford said he felt bad about laying the surcharge.

“I feel terrible for the three governors, I have a phenomenal relationship (with them),” he said.

He said he spoke with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday.

“All three governors think tariffs on their closest allies and friends is absolutely terrible,” Ford said. 

“And Republicans, as well, behind closed doors, say this is the worst thing that he could do. And now I need the Republicans to come out and speak out about it. They’re too scared.”

Walz, a Democrat who was Kamala Harris’s running mate in her failed bid for the presidency, said Trump’s tariffs “pose a serious threat” to future trade with Canada.

“But while the president may not value the partnerships that contribute billions of dollars to our economy, Minnesota does,” Walz said in a written statement on Wednesday. 

“I am working closely with Canadian leadership to help Minnesota get through this unnecessary and costly trade war.”

His office said the increased costs will be “particularly acute for industrial customers in the northeastern part of the state where energy and supply chains will get more expensive.”

“The new tariffs and response from Canada will reduce Minnesota’s competitiveness with other less-impacted regions of the United States,” Walz’s office said.

Ford said there is only one person to blame: Trump.

“Isn’t this a shame,” he said. 

“This whole thing with President Trump is an absolute mess. You see uncertainty in the markets and investments around the U.S. and in Canada. People are going to lose their jobs, their pension funds that people work their whole lives for.”

On Tuesday, Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods and a 10 per cent levy on energy. He announced a month-long reprieve for the auto sector on Wednesday.

Canada responded with 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products and said tariffs on another $125 billion in goods would follow after three weeks.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said earlier Thursday that it was “likely” Trump would pause most of the sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico until April 2. Trump confirmed in a social media post that Mexico will get a one-month pause on tariffs for most imports, but made no mention of tariffs on Canada.

Ford said the two countries need to end the tariffs and immediately renegotiate the Canada-United States-Mexico free trade deal.

Both Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have said they will not back down from retaliatory measures until all tariffs are removed.

“We have to follow through until he drops tariffs completely,” Ford said.

The premier added that Trump has miscalculated Canada’s resolve.

“I’ve never seen the patriotism running across this country like we have over the last couple (of) months,” Ford said. 

“He underestimated the resilience of the Canadian people, the strength of the Canadian people, and let’s just keep moving forward and fight for what’s right.”

Ford said he still wants to work with the U.S. to create the two most prosperous countries in the world by sharing more energy and critical minerals.

The premier has also threatened to shut off power completely to the three U.S. states by early April if the tariffs remain.

He has also mused about stockpiling nickel, a mineral widely used by the American military and aerospace industry.

Ontario has already ripped up a $100-million deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet to rural and northern communities and remote First Nations. 

Ford has also banned U.S. companies from bidding on the province’s $30-billion worth of procurement contracts, and instructed the Liquor Control Board of Ontario to stop selling American products.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025.