Ontario premier urges a more collaborative approach to U.S. President’s border concerns
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About an hour after U.S. President Donald Trump signed into effect sweeping tariffs on imports from Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was back on CNN advocating against the “unjustified” and “unfair” economic measures and vowing “retaliatory measures.”
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“Frankly, it was illegal breaking a deal that we had with the USMCA,” Ford told host Jessica Dean via Skype on Saturday, referring to the Canada-U.S-Mexico Agreement. “And it’s disappointing.”
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The emergency order imposed by the new president imposes a 25-per-cent tariff on most Canadian imports and a 10-per-cent tax on energy headed across the border, both effective 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
On X, the White House said Trump would keep the levies in place “until Canada cooperates with the U.S. against drug traffickers and on border security.” It cited the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
Ford warned such a measure would cause undue suffering on consumers and inflation on both sides of the border.
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He also warned that Canada and its people are unlikely to back down.
“What President Trump underestimates is the resilience of the Canadian people, the strength of the Canadian people, no matter what political stripe you come from in Canada, we’re a united country and we’re a proud country.”
Despite being repeatedly prodded for hints as to what Canada’s response would be, the premier didn’t delve into the specifics, leaving that announcement to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who later announced a set of retaliatory tariffs worth $155 billion on American goods.
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As he’s done repeatedly in front of cameras and at press conferences over the last month, Ford continued to make a case for re-strengthening the countries’ economic relationships and working together to address the issues that are vexing both. Again, he pointed an accusatory finger at Mexico and China for the U.S.’s crises with fentanyl and other opioids.
More details on Canada’s specific targets are expected on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s unfortunate we don’t want to do it,” Ford said. “We’d rather have a strong trading partner with the U.S., build an Am-Can fortress. We want to ship down more products, more critical, more oil. That’s what we wanna do.”
“I think the President has to look at the southern border. He has to work with the Mexican president. He has to work with his DEA to stop the flow of drugs and the precursors that are coming up from China, into Mexico up through the U.S. and into Canada,” he said.
“Let’s work collaboratively together and protect our borders on both sides.”
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