Ontario Premier CAVES to President Trump, Agrees to Drop Electricity Tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has just announced that the province is suspending its surcharge on electricity exports to the United States.

On Monday, Ford imposed 25% tariffs on electricity exports from Canada to three U.S. states: New York, Michigan, and Minnesota.

President Trump quickly responded by threatening to add an extra 25% tariff on Canadian aluminum and steel.

This afternoon, Ford released a joint statement on X claiming that, after a “productive conversation” with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, he has decided to suspend the tariffs entirely.

He will also be meeting in person with Secretary Lutnick on Thursday.

Take a look:

Please see a joint statement from United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and myself:
 
Today, United States Secretary of Commerce @howardlutnick and Premier of Ontario Doug Ford had a productive conversation about the economic relationship between the United States…

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) March 11, 2025

Full text of the Ontario Premier’s statement here:

 

Please see a joint statement from United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and myself:

Today, United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Premier of Ontario Doug Ford had a productive conversation about the economic relationship between the United States and Canada.

Secretary Lutnick agreed to officially meet with Premier Ford in Washington on Thursday, March 13 alongside the United States Trade Representative to discuss a renewed USMCA ahead of the April 2 reciprocal tariff deadline. In response, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 per cent surcharge on exports of electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota.

He also appeared on NBC News to discuss working with Secretary Lutnick on a better trade deal:

After Canadians stood firm, Secretary Lutnick today extended an olive branch. I’m going to work with him in good faith toward a free trade deal that’s fair for both countries. pic.twitter.com/sxu9Qaua4b

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) March 11, 2025

The New York Post reported:

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday that Canada’s most populous province was suspending its 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the US, hours after President Trump announced additional 25% duties on Canadian aluminum and steel.

In a statement on X, Ford said he had a “productive conversation” with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the two would meet in Washington Thursday alongside US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Ford said he would discuss a “renewed USMCA” with Lutnick and Greer, referring to the North American trade agreement signed during Trump’s first term.

“In response, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 per cent surcharge on exports of electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota,” Ford and Lutnick added in their joint statement.

Trump had written a scathing response to Ford’s electricity surcharge earlier Tuesday morning, saying the US would bring its tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50% in response.

The 50% tariff was set to go into effect on Wednesday morning — but Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro told CNBC Tuesday afternoon there would be no 25% increase after Ford called off the electricity surcharge.

Fox Business added:

The premier of Ontario, Canada, Doug Ford, has agreed to suspend its 25% surcharge on electricity exported to Michigan, Minnesota and New York.

Ford and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick issued a joint statement on the matter Tuesday, saying the two of them had a productive conversation about the economic relationship between the U.S. and Canada.

“Secretary Lutnick agreed to officially meet with Premier Ford in Washington on Thursday, March 13, alongside the United States Trade Representative, to discuss a renewed USMCA [United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement] ahead of the April 2 reciprocal tariff deadline,” Ford shared in a post on X. “In response, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 percent surcharge on exports of electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota.”

The agreement came after President Donald Trump threatened to impose further tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, electricity and vehicles on Tuesday.