Threat to tariff or cutoff U.S. energy stays on the table as Ford heads to Washington
Global News
Doug Ford is set to fly in and out of the U.S. capital on Thursday for a meeting with President Donald Trump's commerce secretary which could calm or reignite trade tensions.
As Ontario Premier Doug Ford heads to Washington, D.C. for a meeting at the White House, his threat to tariff or cut off U.S. energy remains on the table and could return after the high-stakes date.
Ford and his team are set to fly in and out of the U.S. capital on Thursday for a meeting with President Donald Trump’s commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick. The result of those talks could calm or reignite trade tensions.
The meeting comes after a whirlwind week in which Ontario levelled a 25 per cent surcharge on the energy it exports to the U.S. before Trump responded on Tuesday by threatening his own 50 per cent tariff on steel and aluminum.
His team called Ford’s threat to cut off power “egregious and insulting” and promised to batter Canada with economic retaliation.
Hours later, Lutnick had called Ford and invited him to the White House for a meeting the premier described as an “olive branch.” Ford then paused his energy surcharge to facilitate the meeting and Trump lowered his 50 per cent tariff to the 25 per cent rate he is applying to the rest of the world.
Since then, the president has oscillated between calling Ford a “strong man” and describing the surcharge as Ontario’s “little threat.” Lutnick also publicly claimed Ford “knows he made a mistake and he withdrew it.”
One senior Ontario government source speaking on background to discuss the meeting acknowledged to Global News that Ford was “taking a chance” pausing the surcharge and sitting down with Lutnick at a volatile White House.
They said it was worth the risk to see if economic sanctions on Canada, many of which threaten Ontario industries like automakers, could be removed.
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