Ontario’s Doug Ford tells AP Canada should be ready to cut electricity, critical minerals to US if trade fight worsens

TORONTO (AP) — Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press that Ronald Reagan would be “throwing up” over President Donald Trump’s trade policies and threatened to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the United States if the escalating Canada-U.S. Ford said Trump has underestimated Canadians’ willingness to endure economic pain rather than give in to U.S. “Up here, we’re at a fever pitch, everyone’s in for an economic war.

They know they’re going to have to sacrifice.” Ford said Trump had “declared war, economic war against his closest friend and ally” before turning to Reagan, whose opposition to tariffs Ford previously featured in a television advertising campaign aimed at Americans. Ford noted that Trump keeps a portrait of Reagan near his desk. Reagan was a strong advocate of free trade and repeatedly warned that protectionist tariffs could trigger retaliation and hurt American consumers and workers.

“He’d be throwing up on him from the picture if he knew what was going on, spinning around in his grave right now,” Ford said. “He should maybe take that picture off the wall and move it somewhere else. Because right now, Ronald Reagan would be disgusted with President Trump.” Ford’s comments came after Prime Minister Mark Carney walked away from trade negotiations with the Trump administration late Friday, saying Washington demanded too much in exchange for tariff relief.

The United States imposed 50% tariffs Saturday on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, while Carney announced dollar-for-dollar retaliation beginning Sept. Trump escalated the dispute again Monday, threatening to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian automobiles, auto parts and steel starting next year. “Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump wrote on social media Monday morning.

Criticizing what he called Canada’s “ridiculously high tariffs” on American farmers, Trump added: “Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!” Ford threatens critical minerals and electricity Ford said “everything is on the table” if the dispute worsens, including cutting off electricity and critical minerals from Ontario. He also called for Canada to consider using oil and potash as leverage. “I’ll cut them off,” Ford said of critical minerals.

TORONTO (AP) — Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday that Ronald Reagan would be “throwing up” over President Donald Trump’s trade policies and threatened to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the United States as Trump escalated the trade… President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian automobiles, car parts and steel starting next year as the trade rift with Ottawa continued to deepen. TORONTO (AP) — Ontario’s Doug Ford tells AP Canada should be ready to cut electricity, critical minerals to US if trade fight worsens.