‘There is no halfway’: Premier Ford says Ontario’s measures will remain in place until U.S. lifts tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford holds a press conference regarding the new tariffs on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Premier Doug Ford says Ontario will “hold our line” on tariffs and retaliation, including removing alcohol from LCBO shelves, until the United States lifts all tariffs on Canada.

The comments came hours before the Trump administration announced a one-month tariff delay on auto manufacturers. The car dealers involved include Stellantis, Ford and General Motors.

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent across-the-board tariff on Canadian goods on Tuesday, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy. The federal government then imposed a 25 per cent retaliatory tariff on $30 billion worth of American products, with plans to expand the levies to cover another $125 billion on U.S. goods in 21 days.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg Wednesday morning that the U.S. government will meet “somewhere in the middle” for adjustments for U.S. tariffs on Canada, with carve-outs for some industries.

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During an interview on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll, Ford said the only solution is no tariffs.

“If they want to meet us halfway, no,” Ford said Wednesday morning. “There is no halfway. We do not want tariffs on Canadians.”

Ontario removed U.S. alcohol from the LCBO in the “first round of retaliation” against the U.S. tariffs, according to Ford. The LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of U.S. products every year.

Carroll asked Ford if the Ontario government would put alcohol back on LCBO shelves and end other measures if the U.S. reduced the tariffs.

“We hold our line and then we counter-tariff; tariff-for-tariff, dollar-for-dollar,” Ford said.

“They want to tariff us for 10 per cent or 15, then they’re getting a tariff. These tariffs do not work. All they do is hurt people in both countries and put uncertainly into the market. We want zero tariffs; we don’t want half the amount of tariffs.”

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Ford spoke with Lutnick Tuesday evening after the Ontario government announced its plan to impose a 25 per cent export tax on the electricity it supplies to three U.S. states in response to the tariffs. Sources told CTV News that Lutnick asked Ford to back off on the retaliatory tariffs.

“I think they underestimated the strength and the will of the Canadian people,” Ford told Newstalk 580 CFRA.

“We’ve hit back extremely hard; they underestimated us, and I just don’t believe in any tariffs whatsoever. When you see the market tank by $3 trillion, and there’s chaos happening, and assembly will shut down in both companies and plants will close down.”

Ford says Lutnick and Trump are two smart businesspeople, but “they’ve miscalculated.”

“We’re going to keep fighting for the people of Canada, I’m going to protect the people of Ontario every way I can and let’s hope we can get through it,” Ford said.

“They need Canada, and we need them, to be very frank.”

Ford released a letter he sent to the senators, congressmen, congresswomen and governors in New York, Michigan and Minnesota to inform them about Ontario’s plan to impose a surcharge on electricity if the Trump administration follows through on any more tariffs.

Carroll asked Ford if he would turn off the electricity to the three states if the tariff war continues.

“It’d be the last resort. The last thing I want to do is cut off their electricity,” Ford said.

“It’s unfortunate, but when your country is under attack, and they want to close down plants, take food off people’s tables until they can’t pay their mortgages and rent and the other full economic attack, I’m going to use every tool in our tool kit. I would rather do the opposite; I’d rather send them more electricity, more critical minerals but make no mistake about it, I’m not a bluffer.

“When I say I’m going to do something, I get it done and if they start hurting families anywhere in Canada, especially Ontario, the lights are going off.”

With files from CTV News Toronto Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Siobhan Morris and CP24.com journalist Codi Wilson