The premier of Canada’s most populated province, Ontario, has become the tip of the spear of Canada’s response to the trade war started by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, March 4.
“If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything — including cut off their energy with a smile on my face,” Doug Ford told reporters in Toronto, Monday.
“They rely on our energy, they need to feel the pain. They want to come at us hard, we’re going to come back twice as hard.”
The next-door province of Quebec, meanwhile, is also brandishing its electricity weapon, though not with the same force as Ontario. According to the Globe and Mail, the government of one of the world’s largest hydroelectric power producers is weighing whether to stop shipments of electricity that it currently sells on the US spot market.
Premier François Legault said Tuesday that Quebec is also looking at the legal feasibility of breaking supply contracts for future power deliveries signed with two US states — Massachusetts and New York.
Trump followed through on his threat to slap 25 percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports into the United States, and 10 percent tariffs on Canadian energy exports flowing south of the border. China was hit with another 10 percent levy, with the heavy-handed measures taking effect at 12:01 EST Tuesday.
The Canadian government announced Monday it would match American tariffs on roughly $30 billion worth of US goods initially, and another $125 billion 21 days later, for a total response of $155 billion.
If that seems clear, the waters were muddied Wednesday and Thursday by Trump announcing further pauses on Mexican and Canadian tariffs — sowing more confusion following his initial one-month pause, Feb. 3.