Donald Trump raged against Canada in a new social media post and vowed to make the country pay a ‘financial price so big’ that it ‘will be read about in history books for many years to come’
Donald Trump has launched another furious attack on Canada – and threatened to hit the country with tariffs so big they ‘will be read about in history books’.
The US president stepped up his North American trade war today with a new announcement of steep 50% tariffs on all Canadian steel and aluminium – effectively doubling the measures he had previously announced. Donald Trump said the new tariffs, set to take effect tomorrow, were a response to the price increases by the provincial government of Ontario put on electricity sold to the United States. The surcharge had been introduced by regional premier Doug Ford in retaliation to previous tariffs announced against Canada by the White House last month.
In a series of posts on his Truth Social network on Tuesday afternoon, Donald Trump vowed to wreck Canada’s economy over the electricity issue – and accused them of using it as a “bargaining chip”. He said: “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!”
The outburst came only two hours after Trump announced the doubling of tariffs on Canada. He had posted: “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!”
Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, has previously said he “would not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely” if Trump retaliated to his energy surcharge – and remained bullish today when questioned on the new tariffs. He said his state “will not back down” in the face of US threats and warned of a potential new recession across North America as a result of the president’s actions, saying: ““If we go into a recession, it will be called the Trump recession.”
The current row comes as Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, prepares to take over from Justin Trudeau as Canada’s Prime Minister. This afternoon, he said his new government will take a “maximum impact” response if the double tariffs are brought in, writing on X: “President Trump’s latest tariffs are an attack on Canadian workers, families, and businesses. My government will ensure our response has maximum impact in the US and minimal impact here in Canada, while supporting the workers impacted. My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect and make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade.”