Ontario Premier Doug Ford continues to walk back his ‘tough guy’ approach on U.S. trade disputes. He prefers diplomacy over strongman tactics to avoid further escalation.

Ford retracted a 25% surcharge on hydroelectricity exports to Great Lakes states after President Donald Trump threatened reciprocal tariffs, last Wednesday.

“Like him or not, don’t underestimate President Trump,” he said at the time.

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“Is there any circumstance in which you would bring that [surcharge] back?” a reporter asked yesterday. “Well, it’s always on the table, but the last thing I want to do is antagonize and go to war again,” replied Ford.

“I wanna try to move forward on any negotiations—that’s what I believe in,” he added.

WATCH: Premier Ford says the option to reimpose a surcharge on Ontario electricity sent to the US is "always on the table," but that he isn't looking to "antagonize" the Americans and wants to "move forward" in trade negotiations. pic.twitter.com/Kwdy94iUYx

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) March 18, 2025

Premier Ford and U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, spoke early last week to arrange for meetings in Washington amid temporary reprieve. 

They met on March 13, to discuss a “renewed” United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ahead of the April 2 deadline on reciprocal tariffs. No review of the treaty is due till 2026. 

“If I didn’t do what I did,” said Ford, “that meeting would have never happened.”

A joint statement revealed “a productive conversation” on relations between both countries, despite the impending tariff deadline.

“The worst thing that could happen is to wait and let this drag out until April 2,” he told reporters last week. 

“We look forward to continuing these talks, … but we will retaliate, dollar for dollar, tariff for tariff,” warned Ontario’s premier. 

Doug Ford says his meeting with the Trump administration wouldn't have happened without his energy surcharge action. Calls to be "first in line" for exemptions when America imposes it's global reciprocal tariffs on April 2nd. pic.twitter.com/MHNaFZa2aQ

— Efrain Flores Monsanto 🇨🇦🚛 (@realmonsanto) March 18, 2025

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

Depending on Trump’s actions in the coming weeks, Ford said he “wouldn’t hesitate” 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.”

Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian imports on March 4, with a 10% tariff on Canadian energy products. U.S. automakers were exempt from the tariffs until April 2.

Another executive order exempted some U.S. imports from Canada from the 25% tariffs until April 2, excluding steel and aluminum. Cabinet then imposed nearly $30 billion in levies on U.S. imports, pledging $125 billion more in tariffs for the coming weeks should cooler heads not prevail.

“We told the administration very clearly how we feel—these tariffs are gonna hurt the American people,” Ford said. “It is gonna hurt us [too], but we can’t roll over.”