U.S. President Donald Trump railed against Canada in a social media post after Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a 25% surcharge on electricity exported to the U.S.
“Canada is a Tariff abuser, and always has been, but the United States is not going to be subsidizing Canada any longer,” Trump said in his post. “We don’t need your Cars, we don’t need your Lumber, we don’t need your Energy, and very soon, you will find that out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
Ford added the surcharge on electricity Monday — Ontario sends power to 1.5 million homes in three states — as a retaliatory measure for Trump imposing tariffs on Canadian goods starting April 2. And Ford admitted the increase in price of electricity could go even higher.
The increase will add an estimated $100 per month to the bills of American households, Ford said, and bring the province an extra $300,000 to $400,000 per day. That money, in turn, will be used to reduce hydro bills for Ontario ratepayers.
“Believe me when I say I do not want to do this,” Ford said Monday at a press conference. “I feel terrible for the American people, because it’s not the American people who started this trade war. It’s one person who’s responsible, that’s President Trump.”
But on Truth Social, Trump said Ford is overreaching with the surcharge.
“Despite the fact that Canada is charging the USA from 250% to 390% Tariffs on many of our farm products, Ontario just announced a 25% surcharge on “electricity” of all things, and your (sic) not even allowed to do that,” he said. “Because our Tariffs are reciprocal, we’ll just get it all back on April 2.”
The electricity surcharge is the latest move by Ford to strike back against Trump’s introduction of tariffs on Canadian goods. He has also ordered American booze be taken off the shelves of LCBO stores and banned U.S. companies from government procurement contracts.