TORONTO — The prime minister must take a threat from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on tariffs seriously, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Tuesday, promising the province will also take steps of its own.
Trump is threatening to impose a 25 per cent import tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico right after he takes office, saying they would remain in effect until Canada and Mexico stop illegal border crossings and prevent drugs like fentanyl from entering the U.S.
Ford said Trump's comments comparing Canada to Mexico are insulting and added that it feels like "a family member stabbing you right in the heart."
"A message to president-elect Trump: there's no closer ally, there's no other country in the world that has stood shoulder to shoulder with our American counterparts, our friends, our family," Ford said at a press conference.
"It's an insult to the 900,000 Americans that are living here in Canada. It's an insult to the nine million Americans that wake up every single morning to produce products to ship up to Ontario alone."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is holding an emergency meeting with premiers on the issue Wednesday evening.
Ford said he believes Canada should be prepared to retaliate if Trump's threat comes to pass, but also indicated that he will press Trudeau to take action on border security.
"Do we need to do a better job on our borders? One thousand per cent," Ford said.
"But we know that when it comes to illegal drugs, our police services across the country — federally, provincially, municipally — work with the (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) and the (Drug Enforcement Administration) in making sure that we stop the flow of drugs coming back and forth across the border."
Meanwhile, Ford has a plan of his own to appeal directly to Americans and governors, particularly in states that do a lot of trade with Ontario.
The province has produced a commercial that will be running in all jurisdictions in the U.S. with a message of being "stronger together," Ford said. He did not indicate when the ads would be running or how much they would cost.
Many states and industries depend on resources such as energy and critical minerals from Ontario and Canada, Ford said. He noted that Ontario is the No. 1 export destination for 17 states and comes in second for 11 others.
Ontario does nearly $500 billion in two-way trade with the United States every year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press