American President Donald Trump is doubling steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada to 50 per cent in retaliation to Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s 25 per cent surcharge on electricity to the U.S.
On Tuesday morning, Trump announced the higher tariffs will come into effect tomorrow, Mar. 12, saying Canada will be “one of the highest tariffing nations anywhere in the world.”
“Also, Canada must immediately drop their Anti-American Farmer Tariff of 250% to 390% on various U.S. dairy products, which has long been considered outrageous. I will shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area. This will allow the U.S to quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada,” he wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
Trump warned that if Canada doesn’t drop its other tariffs on American imports he will increase the tariffs on cars coming into the U.S. on Apr. 2, which he says “will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada.”
Trump continued his social post saying, “the only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State.”
“This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians’ taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that,” he wrote.
Ford spoke with CNN in response to Trump doubling tariffs and said Ontario “will not back down.”
“I’m not too sure why he continues to attack his closest friends and allies but we need the American people to speak up. We need those CEOs to actually get a backbone and stand in front of him and tell him, ‘this is going to be a disaster, it’s mass chaos right now,’” he said.
Trump’s latest tariff threat comes after Ford implemented a 25-per cent surcharge on energy exports for the U.S., which came into effect yesterday. Ford rolled out the fee as a retaliatory measure in response to Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports, which are set to come into effect next month.
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Online, Canadians are reacting to Trump doubling tariffs.
“Okay I was against the trade war, but now I think I’m back on team trade war,” one X user said.
“Time to shut down the power to the yanks,” another X user said.
“Sounds like #Trump just tweeted and wanting to f**k around with canada and is directly threatening #Canada in broad escalation and forcefully now saying it will be the #51st state. NOW is the time to act and fight back. Tariff the hell out of him including non tariff measures,” another X user said.
While others are not in favour of Ford’s retaliatory measures.
“Ok Doug, calm down. How about we work with the US,” one X user said.
“Your response to this is going to do more harm than good,” another said.
