Canada-US Tariff War ‘Only Benefits China,’ Ford Says Ahead of Premiers Meeting

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, speaks, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks on during a first ministers meeting in Ottawa on Jan. 15, 2025. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

Provincial premiers will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet on Jan. 15 to discuss potential responses to incoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports.

Ahead of the premier’s meeting in Ottawa, Ontario Premier Doug Ford again warned that such trade tensions between allies will only benefit China.

“A costly trade and tariff war between the U.S. and Canada only benefits China and Chinese-backed companies by creating the kind of economic uncertainty and conditions for them to continue to rip off American and Canadian workers,” Ford wrote in a post on the social media platform X on Jan. 15.

Ford has been a vocal critic of the China’s trade practices, saying it’s intentionally disrupting the global critical minerals supply chain, including through export bans on the United States, and noted that Canada could help fill that resource gap for its North American ally.

Ford reiterated his calls to build a “Fortress Am-Can” to strengthen economic and trade relations with the United States, including through joint development of Ontario’s critical mineral deposits. He said during a Jan. 15 press conference in Ottawa that Canada would “use every tool in our toolbox” to fight the potential U.S. tariffs.

Trump initially cited illicit drugs and illegal immigration from Canada as reasons for the tariffs but has since pointed to the U.S. trade deficit with Canada as another factor.

‘Canada Has to React’

Speaking at the press conference in Ottawa, Quebec Premier François Legault highlighted the U.S. tariff’s potential damage to American consumers, particularly those importing Quebec’s aluminum. While he said the goal before Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration remains to avoid tariffs, the First Ministers will discuss “a retaliation plan” if those trade measures are imposed.

“We can’t just do nothing. Canada has to react if the U.S. implements tariffs on us. There are all sorts of ways of dealing with this,” Legault told reporters in Ottawa on Jan. 15. “Nothing’s off the table.”

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith rejected any measures affecting Canada’s energy exports to the United States, with Moe saying at the press conference that the premiers’ discussion should focus on avoiding further divisions in North America and strengthening food and energy security.

“We should not be considering export tariffs or taxing things that Canadians are producing,” Moe said.

Smith, who will attend the First Ministers’ meeting virtually, highlighted in a social media post the extensive pipelines connecting Canada and the United States, reflecting America’s dependency on Canadian energy.

“This is a clear reminder that it’s time to set politics aside and avoid tariffs that could significantly hurt not just the Canadian economy, but the American economy as well,” she wrote on X on Jan. 15.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said in Ottawa that Canada must prepare a strong, proportional response to U.S. tariffs. While not ruling out energy exports as a trade weapon, Furey cautioned against using them prematurely.

“I see energy as Canada’s queen in this game of chess,” he said. “We don’t need to expose our queen too early. The opposition does need to know that the queen exists, but they don’t need to know what we’re going to do with the queen.”

Premiers from the Territories also hold differing views on how to address the looming U.S. tariffs. R.J. Simpson, premier of the Northwest Territories, called for reducing reliance on the United States in oil refining and critical minerals, advocating instead for increased infrastructure development within Canada.

“We’re always going to have a strong economic relationship with the United States, but we can’t be reliant on the United States,” he said during the press conference in Ottawa. “We need to reduce that reliance by investing in Canada in projects that will allow all Canadians to fully participate and contribute to a thriving economy.”

Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai and Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok both highlighted opportunities in the Canada-U.S. partnership, including the critical minerals supply chain and Arctic security.

Meanwhile, B.C. Premier David Eby suggested a day earlier that the province could impose an export ban on critical minerals if Trump moves forward with his proposed tariffs. He pointed to a smelter in Trail, B.C., which exports minerals vital for manufacturing night vision goggles and electronic devices.

“The goal of all of this is just to deliver a very straightforward message,” he said at the B.C. Natural Resources Forum in Prince George. “We provide what helps the American economy go and vice versa. We benefit from each other’s work.”

Ahead of the meeting on Jan. 15, Trudeau said in a social media post, “None of us wants to see tariffs erode a successful partnership between Canada and the United States. But we will be ready with a strong, national response if we need one.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.