Just one week away from a new U.S. administration, Premier Doug Ford estimates that up to half a million Ontario jobs could be affected by president-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs.
During a Tuesday morning press conference, the premier warned the 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods that Trump has threatened to impose could cost between 450,000 to 500,000 Ontario jobs.
“This is serious,” Ford told reporters at a press conference. “It’s unprecedented.”
The premier warned that the tariffs will affect every single person, regardless of the sector they work in, and assured that the government will not hesitate to step in to support Canadians financially, similar to the aid distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he says the situation is too premature to refer to an exact amount of how much Canadians could receive.
In the conference, he also discussed the government’s plan to enhance security between Canada and the United States, highlighting Ontario’s latest initiative, Operation Deterrence.
The project was launched earlier this month in an effort to bolster security at international borders and tackle criminal activity, one of the key actions Trump requested for Canada to take in order to dismantle the flow of illegal drugs and migrants into U.S. soil.
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“I want Canada and America to be the richest, most successful, safest, most secure, most prosperous countries on the planet,” Ford said.
“Let’s stop wasting time talking about a merger that’s never going to happen. And instead, focus on our efforts in restoring the pride of ‘made in Canada’ and ‘made in America.”
In another press conference with Federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc on Tuesday, Ford echoed the same sentiment, which he emphasized will have a real impact on the Canadian economy.
The premier assured that exact details of the security plan that the pair and other ministers have been working on will be outlined sometime next week, but assured that it is both “fabulous” and a “solid” plan that includes high-range drones, surveillance towers, and canine units.
“We will be ready to respond from a position of strength as a unified country,” Ford said to the scrum.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will convene an in-person meeting with Canada’s premiers on Wednesday to discuss the future of Canada-U.S. relations and the incoming economic threat posed by Trump ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20.
