Some Canadian premiers are urging Ottawa to respond robustly to the threat of tariffs from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting critical minerals and metals as products the U.S. relies on, Canada’s Finance Minister said on Wednesday.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other government ministers met with provincial premiers to discuss Trump’s pledge to impose steep tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports after his inauguration in January.
That pledge has raised fears of a trade war between the U.S. and two of its biggest trading partners.
“A number of premiers offered strong support for a robust Canadian response, including some who proactively named critical minerals and metals produced in their provinces and exported to the United States,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters after the meeting.
Canada’s focus right now is on reaching out to U.S. officials, Freeland said, adding that Canadian business and labor leaders are also contacting their U.S. counterparts.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested that energy exports to the United States could also be halted, though he did not provide further details.
Ontario exports electricity to the U.S. but does not produce any of the 4 million barrels per day of oil that Canada ships south of the border.
“We’ll use every tool in our toolbox, including cutting off the energy we’re sending down,” Ford told reporters.
On Monday, Trudeau said Canada would respond to unfair tariffs, as it did during the last Trump presidency, when Ottawa imposed tariffs on goods including bourbon, Harley Davidson motorcycles and cherries.
Trump has said he will maintain protectionist trade measures until Canada and Mexico clamp down on drugs and migrants crossing the border into the U.S.
The federal government also discussed planned border security measures with the premiers, said Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc, adding that Canada would share those details with Trump’s team once they are finalized.
