By Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Canada (AA) - Ontario Premier Doug Ford pulled no punches following a meeting Wednesday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other premiers to formulate a battle plan to combat a threatened 25% tariff on Canadian imports entering the US.
“We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy, going down to Michigan, going down to New York State and over to Wisconsin,” Ford told reporters at a news conference following the 90-minute meeting.
The tone was more conciliatory when Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc held their own news conference after the meeting.
Freeland promised a “robust Canadian response to unjustified American tariffs” but did not elaborate except to say that Canada would retaliate in the area of metals and critical minerals.
US President-elect Donald Trump said he will impose a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports unless the two countries stopped what he called an “invasion” of drugs – fentanyl in particular – and “all illegal aliens into the US.”
At the press conference, LeBlanc noted that only 0.6% of the fentanyl and 0.2% of the illegal immigrants entered the US through Canada.
Nevertheless, LeBlanc said an “overview” of a border plan was discussed at the meeting and the details will be shared with Trump and Canadians in the coming days.
Canadian provincial premiers will also step up meetings with governors of American states and US business leaders to try to prevent the tariffs, as it will hurt Canada but also Americans though higher prices for goods.