CV NEWS FEED // President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the US will impose additional tariffs on Canada as a “retaliatory statement,” following Ontario’s decision to impose a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to three northern states.
In a social media post, Trump wrote, “I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA.” The tariffs take effect Wednesday morning.
The decision comes amid rising tensions between the two countries after Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to cut off power to 1.5 million American homes in New York, Michigan, and Minnesota. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau escalated the dispute, calling it a “trade war” and imposing tariffs on US exports last week.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s decision at a Tuesday afternoon press conference, describing it as a “retaliatory statement” in response “to the escalation of rhetoric that we’ve seen out of Ontario.”
.@PressSec: As for the tariffs, @POTUS made his position quite clear… it was a retaliatory statement due to the escalation of rhetoric that we've seen out of Ontario, Canada. The president saw the premier, Doug Ford, make an egregious comment, threatening to shut down… pic.twitter.com/P9Ok7HVhBU
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 11, 2025
“The president saw the premier, Doug Ford, make an egregious comment, threatening to shut down electricity for the American people, for hardworking American families,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt also highlighted Canada’s nearly 300% tariffs on American cheese and butter, pointing to the “egregious” trade policies as examples of Canada’s unfair targeting of American workers and businesses.
“Workers are exactly who President Trump is looking out for with his America-first trade policy and his America-first economic agenda,” she added. “There’s great indication to be optimistic about where the economy stands.”
Virginia Republican Rep. Riley M. Moore praised the move, calling it a long-overdue step to protect American workers.
“The American worker has been living in a trade war for the last forty years as they’ve destroyed all of our jobs in the United States,” Moore told reporters Tuesday. “No one’s cared about it except this President.”
Trump also announced plans to declare a National Emergency on Electricity in the affected states and warned that if Canada does not reverse its policies, he will substantially increase tariffs on Canadian cars coming into the US starting April 2.