Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatens to cut off energy to U.S. in response to Trump's tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has threatened to cut off energy supply to the U.S. in response to the tariffs President-elect Donald Trump plans to impose on all Canadian imports.

“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 following his virtual meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other premiers on Wednesday.

“I don’t want this to happen, but my number one job is to protect Ontarians and Canadians as a whole.”

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Canada is considered the largest source of U.S. energy imports.

When asked to elaborate on what he meant, Ford played coy, saying he’ll wait to see what will happen moving forward.

Although, he indicated Ottawa and all provinces are compiling list of American goods that will be hit with retaliatory tariffs. Mexico has also suggested it would retaliate with tariffs.

“We’ll use every tool in our toolbox, including cutting them off energy that we’re sending down there,” Ford added.

The premier said it’s not a matter of if, but when will Trump imposed tariffs.

“Folks, this is coming, it’s not, if it is, it’s coming and it’s coming January 20th or 21st. And we need to be prepared,” Ford said.

“We need to stand as a country. We need to stand united as Canadians and work hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues across the country and, and we’re ready to do it.”

Ontario’s total trade with the U.S. in 2023 was valued at around $500 billion, according to the provincial government. The premier has said the U.S. trade relationship matters more to Ontario than any other jurisdiction in Canada.

Speaking about the meeting, the premier said it was constructive and the federal government presented a plan that addressed border issues -- something Trump cited as one of the reasons why he plans to impose tariffs.

The president-elect has demanded Canada tighten its borders to stem the flow of fentanyl and migrants, or else face sweeping tariffs.

Going into the meeting, the premier told CTV News Toronto he wanted a clear plan for a trade deal with the U.S.

Following the meeting, he called Ottawa’s plan “a good start.”

“They have a plan but there’s one thing to have a plan, then we have to implement it,” Ford said.

One thing the premier asked for that he said the federal government would fulfill is putting more CBSA and RCMP officers along the border. Trudeau has indicated Canada is ready to spend more on border security.

“We just spoke with premiers about the Canada-U.S. relationship. Team Canada’s working together to defend what matters most to Canadians: good jobs, a secure border, and a strong partnership with the United States,” Trudeau said in a post on social media following the meeting.

Ford was also asked if he’s been contacted by Trump’s representatives to meet the president-elect at his Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida, to which he replied he hadn’t received an invitation.

The premier appeared on Fox News on Tuesday and saying he’d be more than happy to fly down to Florida to discuss the tariff threat.

Late last month, Trudeau flew down to Florida to have dinner with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort to discuss the potential tariffs. While the meeting was hailed as a success, but Trump has since mocked the prime minister, referring to him in social media posts as “Governor Justin Trudeau” and referring to Canada as one of the U.S. states.

While Ford was pleased with the meeting, he criticized Trudeau for his comments about Americans not electing Kamala Harris as president, which elicited a response from Elon Musk who called him an “insufferable tool” in a post on X.

Ford said the prime minister’s remarks were not helpful, saying it was brought up in the meeting several times.

“Donald Trump was elected democratically. If you like him or you don’t like him, that’s not our issue,” the premier said.

“Prime minister got the message loud and clear.”