President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday March 11, 2025 a series of retaliatory measures against Canada in response to Ontario’s newly imposed 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the United States.
President Trump in a post stated that, “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,”.
The surcharge, which Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday, is expected to increase electricity bills for U.S. consumers in states like New York, Minnesota, and Michigan by as much as $100 a month.
Trump’s response includes a 25% tariff on Canadian electricity and a doubling of planned tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50%.
Trump also threatened to declare a national electricity emergency in the affected states and warned of further tariffs on Canadian automobiles starting April 2.
“Those cars can easily be made in the USA!” he stated, adding that such measures could “essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada.”
