President Donald Trump threatened to impose further tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, electricity and vehicles on Tuesday.
In response to Ontario placing a 25% tariff on electricity coming into the United States, Trump said he instructed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to add another 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum coming into the United States from Canada. The new 50% tariff will go into effect Wednesday morning.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, deeming Canada “ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.”
The move came after Ontario Premier Doug Ford imposed 25% tariffs on electricity exports from the Canadian province to the U.S. states of Michigan, New York and Minnesota on Monday. Speaking to reporters in front of a podium that read “Canada is not for sale,” Ford said the surcharge would cost families and businesses in those states up to $400,000 every day. On average, Ontario’s premier said it would add about $100 per month to “the bills of hardworking Americans.”
“Let me be clear: I will not hesitate to increase this charge,” Ford said. “If necessary, if the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely. Believe me when I say I do not want to do this. I feel terrible for the American people because it’s not the American people who started this trade war. It’s one person who’s responsible. That’s President Trump.”
CANADIANS FEEL ‘UNDER ECONOMIC ATTACK,’ FRUSTRATION WITH US OVER TRUMP TARIFFS, ANNEXATION TALK: AMBASSADOR
In a follow-up post Tuesday, Trump said, “Why would our Country allow another Country to supply us with electricity, even for a small area?”
“Who made these decisions, and why?” Trump said. “And can you imagine Canada stooping so low as to use ELECTRICITY, that so affects the life of innocent people, as a bargaining chip and threat? They will pay a financial price for this so big that it will be read about in History Books for many years to come!”
Trump also said Tuesday that Canada “must immediately drop their Anti-American Farmer Tariff of 250% to 390% on various U.S. dairy products, which has long been considered outrageous.” The president said he would soon declare “a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area,” a move which 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. Those cars can easily be made in the USA!” Trump added.
Trump has voiced interest in the United States gaining control of Canada through economic pressure, though he ruled out potentially using military force. By contrast, he hasn’t ruled out military force regarding his sights on acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal.
The president on Tuesday further charged that Canada “pays very little for National Security, relying on the United States for military protection.”
TRUMP SAYS HE PAUSED SOME TARIFFS TO ‘HELP’ MEXICO AND CANADA TO A ‘CERTAIN EXTENT’
“We are subsidizing Canada to the tune of more than 200 Billion Dollars a year. WHY??? This cannot continue,” Trump wrote. “The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that. The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear, and we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere in the World — And your brilliant anthem, ‘O Canada,’ will continue to play, but now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STATE within the greatest Nation that the World has ever seen!”
At his press conference on Monday, Ontario’s premier thanked outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his service, while decrying the “uncertainty” brought by Trump.
“Until these tariffs are off the table, until the threat of tariffs is gone for good, Ontario will not relent,” Ford told reporters. “We need to end the chaos once and for all.”
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