Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford huddled over breakfast Tuesday, forging a united front just as Ford gears up for a high-stakes trip to Washington, D.C. Their mission? To tackle the escalating tariff tussle with the U.S. and defend Canada’s trade turf against President Donald Trump’s latest salvo.
Hours after their meeting, Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum slammed into effect on March 12, triggering Canada’s counterpunch: nearly $30 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Ford, in a statement, called the powwow with Carney “productive,” stressing their shared resolve to push back hard. “We’re not rolling over for these tariffs,” he vowed.
The stakes spiked Tuesday when Trump threatened to double the steel and aluminum duties to 50%—a jab aimed at Ontario’s new surcharge on electricity exports to Minnesota, Michigan, and New York. But a last-minute phone call between Ford and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick cooled the standoff, with both sides stepping back from the brink. The détente scored Ford an invite to D.C., where he’ll join Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc to hash out the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) with Lutnick.
Ford and Carney’s breakfast blitz signals a coordinated counteroffensive as Canada braces for more trade turbulence. With Trump’s threats still looming, this D.C. trip could be a make-or-break moment for cross-border commerce.