Ontario Premier Doug Ford held his first meeting with newly elected Liberal Party leader and incoming Prime Minister Mark Carney, where they engaged in a “positive and productive” dialogue regarding the challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats.
In a post on social media, Ford indicated that both leaders concurred on the necessity of maintaining a strong and united front against Trump’s threats, which include potential additional retaliatory tariffs in response to the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum that took effect at midnight.
“Together, we will navigate this situation more united than ever. Canada will not waver until the threat of tariffs is eliminated permanently,” his post stated.
In response to the U.S. tariffs, Canada announced nearly $30 billion in retaliatory tariffs on Wednesday.
Federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc confirmed that these retaliatory tariffs will commence at 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday, supplementing the 25 percent tariffs Canada had already imposed on $30 billion worth of U.S. imports earlier this month.
On Thursday, Ford will travel to Washington with LeBlanc to meet with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and members of Trump’s economic team.
This meeting was arranged after Ford agreed to suspend his 25 percent surcharge on electricity for New York, Minnesota, and Michigan, prompting Trump to reconsider the doubling of tariffs that were implemented on Wednesday.
Ford expressed his intention to initiate discussions regarding the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Agreement.
“In the coming weeks and months, I will collaborate with Secretary Lutnick, our federal partners, and every premier in good faith to pursue a fair free trade agreement for both nations.”
Meanwhile, Carney may be sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister as early as Friday, with his transition team actively working to expedite the process.