US President Donald Trump has announced massive new tariffs on aluminum and steel from Canada after retaliatory tariffs from America’s neighbor.
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social account on Tuesday, Trump said it was in retaliation for a 25% surcharge Ontario announced on electricity it sends to northern US states on Monday.
Trump said if tariffs, including those on agricultural products were not dropped, he would hike taxes on the car industry, “which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada”.
The increase in tariffs, from 25% to 50%, will go into affect on Wednesday, Trump said.
He also said Canada relied on the US for “military protection”, and reiterated that he wanted the country to become the 51st US state.
He added that it “would make all tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear” if Canada were to join the US as a state.
‘Based on Ontario, Canada, placing a 25% Tariff on ‘Electricity’ coming into the United States, 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, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,’ Trump declared.
‘I will shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area,’ he added.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford put a 25% tariff on Canadian electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota on Monday in response to earlier tariffs from Trump.
Ford, a conservative politician who runs Canada’s most populous province, says he’s ready to ‘shut the electricity off completely’ if America continues to ‘escalate.’
Trump’s fury continued in a second post, where he warned Canada will pay a historically big ‘financial price’ for its electricity tariff. Many states in the Northeast buy supplemental energy from Canada.
‘Why would our Country allow another Country to supply us with electricity, even for a small area? Who made these decisions, and why? And can you imagine Canada stooping so low as to use ELECTRICITY, that so affects the life of innocent people, as a bargaining chip and threat? They will pay a financial price for this so big that it will be read about in History Books for many years to come!,’ Trump raged.
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