President Donald Trump criticized Canada on Monday, referring to the country as a “tariff abuser” after the province of Ontario announced a 25 percent surcharge on electricity exports to three U.S. states.
Earlier that day, Ontario’s government said that it was adding a 25 percent surcharge on electricity exports to Michigan, Minnesota and New York — where it powers 1.5 million homes and businesses.
“Ontario just announced a 25% surcharge on ‘electricity,’ of all things,” Trump said, claiming the province was “not even allowed to do that.”
“Canada is a Tariff abuser, and always has been, but the United States is not going to be subsidizing Canada any longer,” he added on his Truth Social platform.
“We don’t need your Cars, we don’t need your Lumber, we don’t your Energy, and very soon, you will find that out.”
Seeking to correct alleged trade imbalances, Trump has pledged to launch “reciprocal” tariffs on all countries beginning on April 2.
He seemed to confirm he would do so in the Truth Social post, writing: “Because our Tariffs are reciprocal, we’ll just get it all back on April 2.”
Trump has repeatedly spoken about annexing Canada and thrown bilateral trade, the lifeblood of the Canadian economy, into chaos with tariff actions that have veered in various directions since he took office.
He allowed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports to take effect last Tuesday before announcing some exemptions on Thursday.
But around 62 percent of Canadian imports were still hit by the new levies, even though much of them are on energy resources facing a lower tariff of 10 percent.
On Wednesday, Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports are due to take effect — which will also affect Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday that “until the threat of tariffs is gone for good, Ontario will not relent.”
“Pausing some tariffs, making last-minute exemptions — it won’t cut it. We need to end the chaos once and for all. We need to sit down, work together and land a fair deal,” he told a news conference.
“Until then, Ontario will keep up the fight… That’s why today we’re moving forward with a 25 percent surcharge on electricity exports” to Minnesota, Michigan and New York, he said.
On average, the surcharge would add around $100 per month to residents’ bills in the three states, Ford added.
“Let me be clear: I will not hesitate to increase this charge. If necessary, if the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely,” he said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz — the running mate of Democrat Kamala Harris who lost the November election to Trump — said on X that “Minnesotans struggling to pay their skyrocketing electric bill” were the “first victims of Trump’s trade war.”
“Minnesota cannot afford Trump’s billionaire-run economy. We have to put a stop to this madness,” Walz said.
AFP
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