U.S. President Donald Trump says he now plans to double the tariffs on all steel and aluminum coming into the country from Canada starting Wednesday morning in response to retaliatory measures announced by Ontario earlier this week.
The U.S. President previously announced a 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminum but in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, he confirmed that he planned to double that to 50 per cent. Trump said the move was in direct response to Premier Doug Ford’s decision Monday to slap a 25 per cent surcharge on all electricity Ontario ships to the U.S.
“Based on Ontario, Canada, placing a 25% Tariff on “Electricity” coming into the United States, I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING, March 12th.”
The U.S. president said he will be declaring a “national emergency on electricity” within the “threatened area,” a move which he says will allow the U.S. to “quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada.”
“If other egregious, long time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada,” Trump wrote.
He reiterated his desire to see Canada become “our cherished Fifty First State.”
Trump’s threat comes one day after Premier Ford announced a 25 per cent surcharge on the electricity Ontario sends to three U.S. states, including New York, Michigan, and Minnesota.
Ford also warned that he will “not hesitate” to increase the charge or even shut off energy exports entirely if the trade war persist.
Asked about Trump’s comment as he arrived at Queen’s Park on Tuesday morning, Ford seemed to suggest that Ontario would not back down.
“I will tell you the stock markets are tumbling, it is affecting Americans and it will affect Canadians as well. People are going to be losing their jobs in the U.S. and he (Trump) has to stop the tariffs because we will be relentless in Ontario and we will not stop until he drops the tariffs,” he said.
The surcharge is among a number of countermeasures being taken by the provincial government in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.
In a news release issued on Monday morning, the province said the measure is likely to bring in $300,000 to $400,000 in revenue a day and add about CAD $100 a month to some utility bills being paid by the Americans who rely on the electricity from Ontario.
Ontario currently supplies electricity to about 1.5 million homes and businesses in the three states.