By ROB GILLIES, Related Press
TORONTO (AP) — The premier of Canada’s most populous province mentioned Tuesday he was suspending the 25% surcharge that Ontario imposed earlier this week on electrical energy exports to the USA after talking with the U.S. Commerce Secretary and agreeing to satisfy with him in Washington.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford mentioned he and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have agreed to satisfy on Thursday to “discuss a renewed” United States-Mexico-Canada-Settlement forward of U.S. President Donald Trump’s April 2 reciprocal tariff deadline.
Ford mentioned he was assured that the U.S. president would additionally stand down on his personal plans for 50% tariffs on Canadian metal and aluminum.
“They call you and they hand over an olive branch, the worst thing I could do as premier of Ontario is ignore him and hang up the phone on him,” Ford mentioned.
Trump mentioned he appreciated that Ford is stopping the surcharge on electrical energy exports.
“There’s a very strong man in Canada who said he was going charge a surcharge, or a tariff, on electricity coming into our our country. He has called and said he’s not going to do that,” Trump mentioned. “It would have been a very bad thing if he did. And he’s not going to do that. And I respect that.”
Trump mentioned he would let reporters know later if he’ll maintain off on metal and aluminum tariffs that are as a result of be imposed on Wednesday. “Probably,” Trump mentioned. “I’ll let you know about it but I appreciated his call. I thought it was nice.”
However Trump continued to name for Canada to turn out to be the 51st state, a place that has infuriated Canadians. Trump steered he doesn’t respect the border, saying it’s an “artificial line that looks like it was done with a ruler.”
Trump mentioned earlier Tuesday that he would double his deliberate tariffs on metal and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada, escalating a commerce struggle with the USA’ northern neighbor and displaying an indifference to current inventory market turmoil and rising recession dangers.
Trump mentioned on social media that the rise of the tariffs set to take impact on Wednesday is a response to the value will increase that the provincial authorities of Ontario placed on electrical energy bought to the USA.
The U.S. president condemned the usage of electrical energy “as a bargaining chip and threat,” saying in a separate social media submit on Tuesday that Canada “will pay a financial price for this so big that it will be read about in History Books for many years to come!”
Ford mentioned Trump began this financial struggle in opposition to Canada.
“It was unprovoked,” Ford mentioned. “If a recession does happen it’s a self made recession made by one person. And one person only.”
Ford had introduced on Monday that his authorities was charging 25% extra for electrical energy to 1.5 million American properties and companies in response to Trump’s commerce struggle. He has now backed down on that.
Incoming Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney mentioned Tuesday that his authorities will maintain the federal authorities’s unrelated first tranche of tariffs in place till People present respect and decide to free commerce.
A senior official in Carney’s camp mentioned Carney won’t be becoming a member of Ford in Washington for talks. The official spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to talk publicly on the matter.
Carney, who can be sworn in as Justin Trudeau’s substitute within the coming days, mentioned Trump’s newest metal and aluminum tariff threats are an assault on Canadian employees, households, and companies.
“My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect and make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade,” Carney mentioned.
Carney is referring to Canada’s preliminary $30 billion Canadian (US$21 billion) price of retaliatory tariffs which have already been utilized on objects like American orange juice, peanut butter, espresso, home equipment, footwear, cosmetics, bikes and sure pulp and paper merchandise. They have been utilized final week.
Canadian officers are additionally planning retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump’s particular metal and aluminum tariffs if Trump goes forward with these tariffs.
“You can’t attack your number one customer, Canada, and not expect a response,” Ford mentioned. “We responded and they came back. I’m a business person. I want to sit down and negotiate this and stop the bleeding.”
Initially Printed: March 11, 2025 at 1:32 PM EDT
