Canadian province threatens to cut energy exports to US over tariff

Ontario’s leader stated Wednesday that if President-elect Donald Trump enacts the tariffs he has pledged on Canadian goods, the country’s largest province would be ready to stop exporting energy to the United States.

Following a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who provided information about the federal government’s strategy to oppose Trump’s proposed tariffs, Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued the threat.

Trump, who assumes office in January, has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, claiming that both countries have let the influx of illegal substances, including fentanyl, and unauthorised migrants into the United States.

“We will go to the full extent, depending how far this goes, we will go to the extent of cutting off their energy, going down to Michigan, going down to New York State and over to Wisconsin,” Ford told reporters.

“I don’t want this to happen, but my number one job is to protect Ontario, Ontarians and Canadians as a whole,” he added after the meeting that included Trudeau and Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders.

Ontario exported 12 tera-watt hours of electricity to Minnesota, New York, and Michigan last year, which is enough to power almost 1.5 million households, Ford’s office told AFP on Wednesday.

A request for comment on whether the federal government backs Ford’s proposed move was not immediately answered by Trudeau’s office.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters in Ottawa following the meeting that “a number of premiers spoke out strongly in favour of a robust Canadian response to unjustified tariffs.”

“This is a serious moment for Canada and we are resolute and determined to meet that moment,” she said.

Trump’s proposed tariffs would be “devastating” for his nation, Trudeau said this week.

Late last month, he took a plane to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida to talk about the matter.

According to Canadian media, Trudeau’s administration is working on a border security plan of CAN-$1 billion ($707 million), which Ottawa plans to present to Trump’s team in the upcoming weeks.