- Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford announced the temporary suspension of the proposed 25% additional charge on electricity being exported to the United States.
- Ford stated that U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick consented to resume trade discussions.
- President Donald Trump reacted to Ford by instructing that 50% tariffs be imposed on steel and aluminum imported from Canada.
- Following the conversation between Lutnick and Ford, an advisor from the White House verified that Trump had retreated as well.
Ontario Premier
Doug Ford
On Tuesday, he announced that he would temporarily halt the proposed 25% additional charge on electricity being exported to the U.S. from his province.
Commerce
Secretary
Howard Lutnick
consented to resume trade negotiations.
Ford mentioned that he and Lutnick had a fruitful discussion regarding the economic connection between them.
United States
and
Canada
” earlier Tuesday.
“Both of us have concurred; let more level-headed individuals take charge,” Ford stated to the press.
The remarks followed U.S. President Donald Trump intensifying what was already a heated trade dispute late Monday when he announced plans to increase tariffs.
tariffs
on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to fifty percent
Following Ford’s statement about imposing additional charges on electricity imports into Michigan, New York, and Minnesota, Trump declared these increased tariffs.
Ford mentioned that Lutnick consented to join him and the U.S. trade representative, Jamieson Greer, for a meeting in Washington, D.C., on Thursday aimed at discussing a fresh United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal.
Following the conversation between Ford and Lutnick, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro told SofTech that Trump decided against implementing the extra 25% tariff he had previously announced earlier in the day.
However, the White House stated that the initially planned 25% tariff on “steel and aluminum without any exceptions or exemptions” would be implemented for Canada and all other trading partners effective at midnight Wednesday.
“President Trump has leveraged the power of the U.S. economy, which stands as the strongest and largest globally, to secure a victory for the American populace,” stated White House spokesperson Kush Desai.
Trump has said he will impose tariffs of 25% on other goods imported from Canada beginning April 2.
