Canada’s tough-on-Trump counter-tariffs took a step back Tuesday after Ontario Premier Doug Ford retracted a surcharge on hydroelectricity exports to Great Lakes states. 

“Like him or not, don’t underestimate President Trump,” said Ford. “He’s a smart businessperson.” In addition to Ford's flip flop, the federal government agreed to renegotiate a 2019 trade pact after months of grandstanding.

The concessions came hours after Trump threatened “a financial price so big that it will be read about in history books.”

Trump's threats of severe financial consequences prompted immediate concessions, reported Blacklock’s.

Premier Ford says dropping the 25% surcharge on electricity sent to the US isn't a "win" despite reversing the policy shortly after President Trump threatened to respond in a Truth Social post. pic.twitter.com/QHzBWXomhB

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) March 11, 2025

Premier Ford and U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, spoke yesterday to arrange another meeting in Washington this week. “Only a foolish person would decline or hang up on someone and say ‘I'm not listening,'” Ford told reporters Wednesday morning. 

A joint statement yesterday revealed “a productive conversation” on relations between both countries. They are scheduled to meet tomorrow, March 13, to discuss a “renewed” United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ahead of the April 2 reciprocal tariff deadline.

No review of the treaty is due till 2026. Federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc will also be present. “Make no mistake about it, this is led by Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney along with Minister LeBlanc,” said the Premier. “They will be leading the charge.”

On Wednesday morning, Cabinet imposed nearly $30 billion in levies on U.S. imports to counter a 25% tariff on aluminum and steel. They pledged $125 billion more in tariffs for the coming weeks should cooler heads not prevail.

“The worst thing that could happen is to wait and let this drag out until April 2,” claimed Ford, who says the meeting is an “olive branch” extended to Canada by the Trump administration. 

Trump: "We had a problem with Ontario and they dropped that [electricity surcharge] when I let them know what we were going to be doing. They dropped it immediately." pic.twitter.com/lF1IIdLzWA

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) March 12, 2025

“I am not out to hurt the American people,” Ford claimed in remarks countering his prior anti-Americanism. “I told the governors I am not out to hurt them. I apologize to them that we have to even do this.”

President Trump promised yesterday to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% if Ontario did not retract their threat of an electricity surcharge, resulting in the province rescinding the tariff for now.

Trump then declared “victory” over Canada’s retaliatory tariffs. “This is not gonna be a tough battle,” he said. “They withdrew their little threat.”

The US has not yet specified if it will maintain the 50% tariffs it imposed on steel and aluminum in response. Ford claimed such a measure would be just as damaging to them as it is to Canada.

He pointed out that the U.S. only produces 16% of the aluminum it needs, and that Quebec supplies most of that demand, reported the Epoch Times.

"There would be grave consequences imposed on Canada if they think about shutting off electricity for the United States": Press Sec. Karoline Leavitt says President Trump is "determined" to make the US less reliant on foreign electricity — "including our allies in Canada." pic.twitter.com/9GsZVVRMxL

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) March 11, 2025

When asked if it will be on the table moving forward, he said: “Well, we're seeing what's going to happen.” Ford is holding onto hope that Trump “will pull back” the reciprocal tariff, adding that Lutnick planned to discuss the issue with the President today.

“Our message down there tomorrow is let’s stop this—it’s gonna hurt both economies,” the Premier said. “It’s the American people that are gonna get hurt. Canadians are gonna get hurt.”

Depending on Trump’s actions in the coming weeks, Ford had previously said he "wouldn't hestitate" to shut off power completely to New York, Michigan, and Minnesota.

“He [Ford] made that threat,” clarified White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “The president saw that and has an obligation and a responsibility to respond accordingly and represent the interests of the American people.”

On March 4, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian imports, with a reduced rate of 10% for Canadian energy products. However, he announced the following day that U.S. automakers would be exempt from the tariffs until April 2.

Trump then issued another executive order on March 6, granting an exemption from the 25% tariffs for goods covered by USMCA until April 2. That impacts roughly 38% of the goods the U.S. imports from Canada.

Call the Election!

21,955 signatures

Goal: 25,000 signatures

Justin Trudeau is gone — but Canadians never voted for his replacement. The Liberal Party has installed unelected banker Mark Carney as Prime Minister. Why should Canadians accept another leader without a mandate? It’s time for a federal election now — not when it’s convenient for the Liberals. Sign the petition and demand that Mark Carney call an election immediately!

Sign Now

Optional email code

Will you sign?

First Name

Last Name

Email

Mobile phone

Send me email updates

Send me text message updates

Country AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, the Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth KoreaNorth Macedonia, Republic ofNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine, State ofPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet NamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland Islands

Street address

Apt, suite, etc.

City

State AlabamaAlaskaAmerican SamoaArizonaArkansasArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces EuropeArmed Forces PacificCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFederated States of MicronesiaFloridaGeorgiaGuamHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarshall IslandsMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPalauPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirgin IslandVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Zip code

Apt, suite, etc.

City

Province

Postal code

Apt, suite, etc.

City/Suburb

State/territory

Postal code

Apt, suite, etc.

City

Postal code

Street 2

City

Postcode

Apt, suite, etc.

City

Province

Postal code

Apartment, suite, etc.

City

Postal code

Apt, suite, etc.

City

Postal code

Apt, suite, etc.

City

State/region

Postal code

Comments (optional)