Featured Image Credit: NBC
Topics: Canada, Donald Trump, Politics, World News, US News
Callum Jones
A Canadian Premier has claimed he will shut off power to 1.5 million US customers after Donald Trump announced controversial new tariffs.
Shortly after his return to the White House in January, President Trump signed off on an order imposing 'catastrophic' tariffs to 'hold China, Mexico and Canada accountable for their promises to halt the flood of poisonous drugs into the US' by placing 25 percent tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, and 10 percent on China.
The 47th POTUS explained how the only 'solution' for Canada to avoid the tariff is to become the US' 'cherished 51st State'.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement released on Monday (March 3): "Today, after a 30-day pause, the United States administration has decided to proceed with imposing 25 percent tariffs on Canadian exports and 10 per cent tariffs on Canadian energy. Let me be unequivocally clear – there is no justification for these actions."
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An announcement released by the White House stated the tariffs are part of Trump 'taking bold action to hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country'.
The order states: "There is growing production of fentanyl in Canada, and enough fentanyl was seized at the northern border last fiscal year to kill 9.8 million Americans.
"Additionally, illegal border crossings from Canada reached historic new highs every year for the last four fiscal years."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who won a third majority last week, said during news conference: "If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do anything, including cutting off their energy — with a smile on my face.
"They need to feel the pain. They want to come at us hard? We've got to go back twice as hard."
Ford told NBC: "We [Ontario] keep the lights on in 1.5 million homes and [in] manufacturing in New York, in Michigan, and in Minnesota.
"If he wants to destroy our economy and our families, I will shut down the electricity going into the US."
And speaking during a mining convention in downtown Toronto on Monday, Ford doubled down on his initial claims.
As per the Toronto Sun, Ford said: "If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything — including cut off their energy with a smile on my face.
"They rely on our energy, they need to feel the pain. They want to come at us hard, we’re going to come back twice as hard."
He added: "That’s exactly what we’re going to do.
"The provinces have a big say in it, but it’s the federal government that’s leading the charge, and we’re going to stand shoulder-to-shoulder no matter who’s in the federal government."