‘Unjustified, unfair and frankly illegal,’ Doug Ford blasts Trump’s tariffs

Speaking to CNN, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the U.S. and Canada need to work together and Trump's tariffs are going to 'make America poor.'

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says new import tariffs imposed on Canada by the United States are “unjustified, unfair, and frankly illegal.”

During an interview on CNN on Saturday evening, he said breaking the trade deal with Canada is “disappointing.”

Ford went on to say that Canada is the United States’ “closest ally and trading partner,” and the country’s “largest export destination in the entire world.”

“This is going to hurt Americans. It’s going to hurt Canadians. We’re going to see inflation happening down in the U.S. and Canada and it’s unjustified,” he said, adding that Canada will soon be announcing retaliatory tariffs.

“It’s unfortunate. We don’t want to do it. We’d rather have a strong trading partner with the U.S., build an Am-Can fortress. We want to ship down more products, more critical minerals, more oil. That’s what we want to do.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to elaborate further on those measures, he said, adding that these new tariffs will be deeply felt in the U.S. as Canada is the top export destination for 28 states. Ontario alone, he noted, is the number one trading partner for 17 states and the second for 11 others.

Ford went on to say that Trump “underestimates the resilience of the Canadian people, the strength of the Canadian people.”

“No matter what political stripe you come from, in Canada, we’re united. We’re a united country, and we’re a proud country,” he said.

Ford’s reaction comes hours after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration imposed new import tariffs on Canada. The American president signed the International Emergency Economic Powers Act at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Saturday.

The legislation will see 25 per cent tariffs placed on imports from Mexico and Canada, 10 per cent on Canadian energy, and an additional 10 per cent on China. The tariffs are set to take effect on Tuesday.

Sources had indicated to CTV News earlier Saturday that Trump intends to keep them in place “until the crisis is alleviated.”

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said this new tax comes as a result of the “major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl.”

“We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all,” he wrote of his campaign promise to “stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our Borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of it.”

Ford refuted those claims, saying that “Canada is not the problem.”

“The problem is the Mexican border and China. That’s where the problem is,” he said on CNN.

“Please do not lump us in with Mexico and China. We’re your closest ally, your number one customer, and we stood shoulder to shoulder on many, many different fronts. We love the Americans, and we love the U.S.”

Ford said Trump along with his country’s Drug Enforcement Administration needs to address the flow of drugs coming from China and into Mexico then into the States and Canada.

He also noted said that 95 per cent of all illegal guns coming into Canada are from the U.S. as well as “illegals.”

“My point is, let’s work together. Let’s work collaboratively together and protect our borders on both sides of the border,” Ford said.

“We are the two strongest nations in the world, if work together. The U.S. is reliant on our crude oil, our uranium, on our potash, on our high-grade metal, on our electricity. Ontario powers 1.5 million homes, keeps the lights on New York and Michigan, and Minnesota and many other areas. We need to work together. We’re stronger together.”

Earlier today, the Ontario Progressive Conservative leader called the impending tariffs “reckless.”

“I wish I had better news to share but Donald Trump couldn’t have had been more clear. He’s moving forward with these reckless tariffs,” Ford said at a campaign event in Brampton.

“He’s chosen to tear up decades of good will that has made life better for workers on both sides of the border, for businesses on both sides of the border, for families on both sides of the border.”

Trump told reporters on Friday that Canada, as well as Mexico and China, could do nothing to stop the tariffs, and vowed to target products like oil and gas.

“He thinks he can break Canada. He thinks he can buy Canada. He doesn’t know what we know, the Canadian spirit can never be broken and, friends, Canada is not for sale,” Ford said, underscoring his “Team Canada” approach to tackling the tax and later reiterating his promise to “protect Ontario.”

Ford has pointed to Trump’s tariff threat as the reason he called for an early election in Ontario, saying tariffs would put 500,000 jobs in the province at risk.

The PC leader also reiterated that he’d support the federal government if it enacts retaliatory tariffs, having previously threatened to cut off the energy supply the province supplies to Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who met with provincial and territorial premiers late Saturday afternoon to discuss the country’s response to the U.S. placing tariffs on Canada, has said “everything is on the table” for how Canada responds to Trump’s tariffs.

Ford, meanwhile, says Canada has “an enormous amount of powerful tools in our tool kit” the country can leverage against the tariffs, such as energy, nickel, aluminum and potash. Though it currently remains unclear what U.S. imports will be hit in retaliation, Kentucky bourbon, and Florida orange juice are said to be options.

“A we are all always in our toughest moments, Canada is in this together, united, we stand, divided, we fall. I choose united,” he said.

The PC leader then directed a message straight to the commander-in-chief.

“To President Trump, I can only say this: this is not a smart move. It’s selfish. It not only hurts Canadians, it hurts your own people. It hurts you, and your administration. It makes America poor. It makes Americans poor,” Ford said.

With files from CP24’s Bryann Aguilar and CTVNews.ca staff