Federal and provincial leaders continued to play hardball hours before US President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford told American broadcaster NBC News on Monday night he would “shut down electricity going down to the US,” a move he says would affect customers in New York, Michigan and Minnesota.
He also directly addressed the president during a press conference as the midnight deadline loomed.
“I’m a different kind of cat. I’ll fight tooth and nail,” said Ford.
“I’ll fight to the death. Not that there’s going to be any deaths. But, you know, the economy.”
“He has no idea.”
President Donald Trump at 12:01 a.m. ET Tuesday imposed a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods and a 10% tariff on energy and critical minerals. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also at 12:01 a.m. ET retaliated with $30 billion in tariffs on US products, rising to $155 billion in three weeks.
Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland meanwhile called Trump’s tariffs “self-mutilating for the United States.”
“Americans are going to lose jobs,” Freeland told reporters Monday.
“American businesses are going to go broke. This tariff war is a really dumb idea.”
Freeland ahead of the midnight tariff deadline said Canada had no choice but to retaliate. “Capitulation is not a negotiating strategy,” she said.
“Let me be very clear with our American neighbours: If you hit us we will hit back. Our retaliation will be dollar for dollar and it is going to really hurt.”
“Americans need to know the stuff you buy from Canada, this is stuff you need for your economy. You need our potash, you need our uranium, you need our oil and gas and electricity.”
“The critical thing right now is for us not to be intimidated. The way President Trump negotiates is by creating maximum chaos and maximum intimidation. We need to be united, strong and smart. We need to be resolute.”
“American neighbours, just don’t do this dumb thing.”
“Our sovereignty is not up for negotiation. We will never give in to economic coercion.”