Trump warns Ontario over electricity surcharge: 'U.S. is not going to be subsidizing Canada any longer'

Donald Trump charged harshly against Ontario Premier Doug Ford's decision to impose a surcharge on electricity exported to the U.S. for the duration of the trade war. The U.S. president also denounced that "Canada is a Tariff abuser, and always has been, but the United States is not going to be subsidizing Canada any longer." The leader of the Executive stressed that it will be the neighboring country that will bear the brunt of the conflict, since "we don’t need your Cars, we don’t need your Lumber, we don’t your Energy, and very soon, you will find that out."

Ford, very critical and belligerent against Trump's tariffs from minute one, decided to go further than the Canadian government itself and open a front on its own in the trade war that pits the two countries against each other. Thus, the Ontario premier decided to unilaterally raise by 25% the price of electricity exported to the US, from which Michigan, Minnesota and New York benefit.

"Until the threat of tariffs is gone for good, Ontario won’t back down. We’ll stand strong, use every tool in our toolkit and do whatever it takes to protect Ontario."

"Ontario doesn’t want this trade war, but we won’t back down until it’s over"

Statements in which he abounded from his account on X, where he assured that "until President Trump’s tariffs are off the table for good, we’re putting a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S."

The surcharge, which went into effect last Monday, will remain in effect despite Trump's one-month extension of the tariffs on Canadian goods, because, Ford said, a one-month pause "means nothing but more uncertainty."

"We don't need their energy, and they'll find that out soon enough."

Trump's response was not long in coming, and he charged harshly against Ontario and Canada, warning them that "the United States is not going to continue to subsidize Canada" and that the levies will be far more damaging to the neighboring country's economy in the long run:

"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 not even allowed to do that. Because our Tariffs are reciprocal, we’ll just get it all back on April 2. Canada is a Tariff abuser, and always has been, but the United States is not going to be subsidizing Canada any longer. We don’t need your Cars, we don’t need your Lumber, we don’t your Energy, and very soon, you will find that out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"