Ontario Premier Doug Ford is urging the Canadian federal government to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, according to CTV News. Ford said he wants these tariffs to be “dollar-for-dollar” ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline to negotiate a new free trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada.
“There is one thing President Trump understands. It is strength. He doesn’t understand or appreciate weakness. He will roll over us like a cement roller if you show an ounce of weakness with the president, in my opinion,” Ford said to reporters Tuesday morning, July 22, ahead of a meeting in Huntsville, Ontario.
Potential surcharge on electricity exports
Ford also said he might consider bringing back a surcharge on electricity that Ontario exports to U.S. states, if the ongoing trade negotiations between Canada and the Trump administration don’t lead to a fair agreement, Bloomberg reported.
Ford made the comments Tuesday morning before meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Carney stated during the week of July 13 that tariffs will probably be part of any U.S.-Canada trade deal, because he says the U.S. doesn’t seem willing to sign an agreement without them.
Deadline pressure and past measures
If a deal is not reached by Aug. 1, the U.S. may impose higher tariffs on Canadian products.
In March, Ford temporarily imposed a 25% export tax on electricity sent from Ontario to the U.S. states of Michigan, Minnesota and New York. It was a response to U.S. President Trump’s policy on trade, which involved the U.S. placing tariffs or trade restrictions on Canadian goods. Ford reversed his decision on the electricity export tax after Trump threatened to double the tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50%.
Tensions over fentanyl and trade
Earlier this month, Trump sent a letter to Carney, threatening to impose a 35% tariff on all Canadian imports. He accused the Canadian government of unfairly responding with its own tariffs on U.S. goods after the U.S. had imposed tariffs on Canada for not doing enough to stop fentanyl from entering the United States.