OTTAWA — Ontario’s measures to counter U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war seem to have pricked up a few ears in Washington.
Speaking to radio host Bill Carroll Wednesday morning on Ottawa’s CFRA, Premier Doug Ford said he received a phone call Tueday from U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was unhappy with what he was hearing north of the border.
“I think they underestimated the strength and the will of the Canadian people, and we’ve hit back extremely, extremely hard,” Ford said during the interview.
“Secretary Lutnick is a super smart guy. Agree or disagree with President Trump, they’re two smart business people — and for this to happen, they’ve miscalculated not just Canada, I think the whole world.”
A later appearance on the Ben Mulroney show was shelved — sources told the Sun the premier spent the balance of the morning on a one-on-one phone call with the prime minister.
Ford’s threats to cut electrical exports to U.S. border states, which rely heavily on imported Canadian power through North America’s interconnected power grid, resonated south of the border.
On Monday, Ford once again dangled his province’s nuclear option to counter Trump’s tariffs — threatening to cut power exports to New York, Michigan and Minnesota “with a smile” on his face.
On Tuesday, he said cutting power would be on the table if tariff increases promised for early April go through.
Canada’s retaliation plans seem to have caused the White House to blink, with Lutnick hinting Tuesday evening that Trump may be prepared to announce a deal to reduce tariffs.
“That’s a concern about President Trump, he’s unpredictable — every single day the goalposts are being moved,” Ford said.
“That’s what I told the secretary, let’s sit down and deal here, because the uncertainty is killing both countries right now.”
Other retaliatory measures included the LCBO — the world’s largest purchaser of wine and spirits — pulling American booze off their shelves, tearing up a $100-million deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink internet provider, and banning U.S. firms from participating in provincial procurement opportunities.
On Tuesday, both Prime MInister Justin Trudeau and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre dismissed Trump’s justification of the border and fentanyl smuggling as catalysts for the tariffs, with the PM accusing Trump of trying to destroy Canada’s economy in order to make it an easy target for annexation.
Ford said that if Trump’s anticipated Wednesday walk-back doesn’t involve a complete revocation of tariffs, retaliation measures will continue.
“The last thing I want to do is cut off their electricity,” Ford said, highlighting his positive relationships with the governors of U.S. border states.
“It’s unfortunate, but when your country’s under attack … if they start hurting families anywhere in Canada, especially Ontario, well, the lights are going off.”
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