U.S. President Donald Trump unleashed a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods Tuesday, tagging energy with a lighter 10 per cent hit. Canada’s federal government fired back, slapping 25 per cent tariffs on $30 billion in U.S. products, with another $125 billion in American goods set to face levies in three weeks.
Wednesday morning, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg the Trump administration might ease up, hinting at a “middle ground” with carve-outs for some sectors. But Ontario Premier Doug Ford isn’t budging. Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll, Ford shot down any half-measures. “Halfway? No way,” he said. “We want zero tariffs on Canadians—full stop.”
Ontario’s already yanked U.S. alcohol from LCBO shelves as its opening salvo, torching nearly $1 billion in annual sales of American booze. When Carroll asked if a U.S. tariff rollback—like cutting to 10 or 15 per cent—might see the liquor return or other steps unwind, Ford doubled down. “We match them tariff-for-tariff, dollar-for-dollar,” he said. “These things don’t work—they just slam families on both sides and spook markets. We’re holding the line for no tariffs, not some trimmed-down version.”
Lutnick reached out to Ford Tuesday night after Ontario unveiled plans to slap a 25 per cent export tax on electricity flowing to New York, Michigan, and Minnesota—a move pegged to Trump’s tariffs. Sources told CTV News that Lutnick urged Ford to dial it back. “They misread us,” Ford told CFRA. “They didn’t expect Canadians to hit this hard. With markets tanking $3 trillion and plants facing shutdowns, they’ve misjudged. Lutnick and Trump are sharp, but they’ve got this wrong.”
Ford’s resolute: “We’ll keep battling for Canadians—I’ll shield Ontarians however I can. They need us, and we need them, plain and simple.” He’s fired off letters to senators, congressfolk, and governors in the three U.S. states, warning of the power surcharge if Trump piles on more tariffs.
Would he flip the switch off entirely? “Last resort,” Ford said. “I’d rather pump them more juice, more minerals. But if they’re gutting our families—taking food off tables, threatening homes—I’m not bluffing. Every tool’s on the table. If they hurt Canada, especially Ontario, those lights go dark.”