Ontario Premier Doug Ford has once again voiced his strong opposition to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs, warning that these economic policies will ultimately harm American workers and consumers.
Ford has been a vocal critic of Trump’s trade measures since the U.S. imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, and the European Union. The tariffs, which include a 25 percent duty on steel and aluminum imports, were justified by the former president on grounds ranging from economic protectionism to national security concerns.
In response, Ford took decisive action, scrapping a $100 million contract with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and threatening to raise export prices on key Canadian resources—including minerals and electricity—that power homes and businesses in New York, Michigan, and Minnesota. At one point, he even warned that he could cut off electricity exports entirely as part of a broader strategy of economic retaliation. However, tensions temporarily eased after what Ford described as a “productive” meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Despite a brief pause in hostilities, Trump has now escalated the trade dispute with a fresh 25 percent tariff on cross-border auto trade, reigniting the conflict between the two leaders. The move has drawn criticism from industry leaders, who warn that it could disrupt supply chains and increase costs for American consumers.
Ford, unwavering in his stance, has pledged to fight back with equal force. “Trump’s at it again, and I can tell you, this is going to hurt American workers,” he stated. “I fully support retaliatory tariffs—tariff for tariff—but we need to see what happens on April 2. This has been an on-again, off-again battle, and now it’s back on.”
He continued, emphasizing that Canada’s response will be strategic. “We’ll go through every tariff, minimize the pain for Canadians, and maximize the impact on Americans. It’s unfortunate, but this chaos is being driven by one person—Donald Trump.”
Trump, who has dubbed April 2 as “Liberation Day in America,” insists the tariffs are necessary to protect U.S. jobs and industries. However, economic experts and business leaders are less convinced.
Tesla, along with other major automakers like Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW, Honda, and Hyundai, have warned that these tariffs will severely disrupt operations at U.S. assembly plants. The auto industry trade group Autos Drive America stated that “automakers cannot shift their supply chains overnight,” predicting that the tariffs will lead to higher prices for consumers, fewer vehicle options, and even potential job losses across the supply chain.
Adding to the economic uncertainty, the European Union has vowed to impose a retaliatory 50 percent tariff on U.S. alcohol, further exacerbating trade tensions.
With the deadline for the auto tariffs approaching, all eyes are on the U.S. and Canada to see whether the escalating trade war will be resolved—or if both sides will continue to dig in, risking serious consequences for workers and businesses on both sides of the border.
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