Paul Vieira of The Wall Street Journal reports that Ontario has imposed a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S. in retaliation for ongoing U.S. tariff threats. Premier Doug Ford warned he could increase the surcharge or cut off power if the tariffs persist after April. The move, affecting states like New York, Michigan, and Minnesota, is part of broader Canadian retaliation against U.S. trade policies. He writes:
The Canadian province of Ontario officially imposed Monday a 25% surcharge on all its electricity exports to the U.S., and warned that it is prepared to raise that levy or cut off power to their southern neighbor should President Trump escalate the crossborder trade conflict.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said last week he would take this measure due to the continued tariff threats against Canada by the Trump administration. And with Monday’s announcement, he followed through on his promise to slap the surcharge even after President Trump offered last week a partial reprieve on 25% tariffs for another month. The surcharge will affect roughly 1.5 million households and businesses in the states of New York, Michigan and Minnesota.
“Until these tariffs are off the table, until the threat of tariffs is gone for good, Ontario will not relent,” Ford said. He added he wouldn’t hesitate to either increase the charge or cut off power completely depending on the Trump administration’s tariff policy, including whether the 25% tariffs return in April after a one-month reprieve. […]
Ontario, along with other provinces, have retaliated against the U.S. in other ways, such as removing U.S. spirits and wine from the shelves of government-run liquor retail outlets. The head of Brown-Forman, the maker of Jack Daniel’s, said this move was “worse than a tariff” and represented a “disproportionate response” to the Trump administration’s tariff plan.
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