Let’s Protect Ontario
On March 4, 2025, premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, wrote to the Governors, Senators and Congressmen and women from New York, Michigan and Minnesota putting them on notice that Ontario is prepared to add a 25 percent surcharge to the electricity we export to their states if president Trump’s tariffs remain in place.
The premier’s response comes after prime minister Justin Trudeau announced his own retaliatory measures – including an immediate 25 percent tariff on C$30 billion of goods from the US.
Premier Ford emphasized that “If we have to, we won’t hesitate to increase the charge or shut the electricity off completely.”
Meanwhile, Canada has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States regarding new tariff measures applied by the United States on goods originating in Canada. The request was circulated to WTO members on 5 March.
The request for consultations formally initiates a dispute in the WTO. Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation. After 60 days, if consultations have failed to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel.
The premier’s two page letter is available below.
