Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Trump to drop tariffs, offering to do the same for Canada.
Trump’s looming tariff announcement has stirred tension, especially with Canada in the crosshairs.
PM Mark Carney vowed to “Fight. Protect. Build.” while Ford apologized for a previous tariff threat on U.S. states.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is making a pitch straight to Americans—and, more pointedly, to President Trump—urging the U.S. to back off its looming tariff plans.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter) early Wednesday, just hours before Trump’s expected “Liberation Day” announcement, Ford offered a deal: Canada will drop its tariffs—if the U.S. does the same.
“President Trump’s tariffs will put millions of American jobs at risk and raise costs for families across the U.S.,” Ford wrote. “I’ll be making the case all day directly to Americans: drop the tariffs and let’s work together to be the richest and safest two countries on the planet.”
NEW: 🇨🇦🇺🇸 Canada confirms it will drop all U.S. tariffs—if President Trump agrees to do the same 👀 pic.twitter.com/wo81sKSBcv
Bold words, sure. But here’s the catch—Ford doesn’t actually have the authority to set or lift tariffs. That power rests with the federal government in Ottawa, not the premier of Ontario, even though Ford currently chairs the Council of the Federation, which represents Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders.
Still, Ford’s comments show the level of concern north of the border. Trump’s looming reciprocal tariff package—reportedly set to hit Canada and others later today—is causing unease across industries.
Ottawa Isn’t Backing Down
While Ford is calling for cooperation, Prime Minister Mark Carney isn’t exactly in a negotiating mood. His message?
“Fight. Protect. Build.”
That’s the Canadian government’s official stance in response to Trump’s threats.
What’s Trump Planning Exactly?
That’s still… not entirely clear.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that Trump is “always open to a phone call” if countries want to negotiate, but specifics on the tariff package—who’s in, who’s out—haven’t been released yet.
Initially, Trump said the new tariffs would simply match what other countries charge the U.S., but more recently, he’s hinted at being “nicer” than that. Whatever that means.
Canada Feeling the Heat
Canada’s economy has already felt the ripple effects of Trump’s earlier tariff threats, and things could get more intense.
Just last month, Trump warned he’d slap 25% tariffs on Canadian imports unless the country did more to tighten border security and combat fentanyl trafficking. The message was loud and clear.
Meanwhile, in an awkward twist, Ford himself made headlines a few weeks ago for threatening to add a 25% charge on electricity exports to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York—only to walk it back a few days later and issue a public apology to Americans.
