Doug Ford says Canada must take ‘different approach’ and ‘hit back’ against U.S. tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford looks on prior to speaking to the media during a funding announcement in Hamilton, Ont., Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that Canada must be prepared to “take a different approach” and begin “hitting back” against U.S. tariffs should a deal not be reached to end the trade war.

Ford made the comment to reporters at Queen’s Park on Tuesday ahead of a planned Oval Office meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump.

“We can’t just keep rolling over to President Trump. As he strengthens his case, we seem to be weakening our case by continuously pulling off (retaliatory) tariffs,” he said. “I would take a different approach. Try to get a deal if you can but we have to hit them back hard and not stop hitting them back hard because we can never take a back seat to anyone, especially President Trump.”

Canada lifted many of its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods in August.

Since then, the U.S. has continued to introduce new tariffs on its trading partners, including 10 per cent duties on important timber and lumber and 25 per cent duties on imported kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and upholstered furniture that are both set to take effect on Oct. 14.

“If you want to see inflation stop you make a deal with Canada. If you want to see the economy grow you make a deal with Canada. That is what we need to do because it will hurt both countries if we don’t. But you sure don’t sit back and get beat up by a bully every single day. It is like a kid going to the schoolyard and getting punched in the face every day,” Ford said Tuesday. “It is time to hit back if we don’t get a deal. Maybe Prime Minister Carney knows something I don’t know and if that is the case he should sit down with the premiers and explain that. That is what he needs to do.”

Ford previously threatened to cut off the electricity Ontario supplies to three U.S. states but agreed to suspend the levy back in March, following a conversation with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

On Tuesday, the premier was asked whether he would consider reintroducing that measure as the trade war drags on and seemed to suggest it was at least a possibility.

Ontario currently ships surplus energy to New York, Minnesota and Michigan but Ford mused that some manufacturers could potentially shift production to off-peak hours and gain access to the lower cost electricity Ontario provides to its neighbours south of the border.

“What we need to do is use that energy to be more competitive. If he (Trump) wants to shut down every single industry then we are going to need the energy,” he said. “We are giving the U.S. energy at an extremely low cost. We are keeping 1.5 million lights on and businesses open in New York and Michigan and Minnesota and I know other provinces are doing the same thing. Let’s start giving it to our manufacturers.”

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.