Doug Ford on Canadian response to Trump tariffs: 'Maximize the pain for Americans'

Ontario Premier Doug Ford argued the Trump administration's looming tariffs will carry harsh impacts for American businesses and consumers while lauding Canada’s plan for retaliation against the additional taxes.

Ford told reporters that the Great White North can push back with “$65 billion of tariffs that we have on the table that we can launch towards the U.S. — we have to run through every tariff and minimize the pain for Canadians, maximize the pain for Americans.”

“I feel terrible for the Americans, but it’s one person, it’s President Trump that’s creating this chaos," he added.

The Ontario premier said Trump launched an early “attack” with his threat to levy 25 percent tariffs on auto imports and parts from Canada this week. That comes in addition to reciprocal tariffs the administration said will begin April 2.

“We have two options here: Either we roll over as a country and he runs us over 15 times and gets what he wants, or we feel a little bit of pain and we fight like we’ve never fought before,” Ford said. 

His rhetoric now echoes Trump’s approach to global tariff policies with compromise to short term convenience for long-term gains.

“This will be the Golden Age of America! Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not!),” the president wrote on Truth Social last month.  

“But we will make America great again, and it will all be worth the price that must be paid," he continued at the time. "We are a country that is now being run with common sense — and the results will be spectacular!!!”

Ford’s tariff strategy was recently tested as Canada imposed a tax on energy imports to three American states. The effort was later recanted after the premier met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. 

Despite that withdrawal, Ford confirmed the nation would oppose the dissection of stable trade agreements.

“I’ve spoken with Prime Minister [Mark] Carney. We agree Canada needs to stand firm, strong and united,” Ford wrote in a Wednesday post on the social platform X. 

“I fully support the federal government preparing retaliatory tariffs to show that we’ll never back down," he said.

Carney on Wednesday lashed out at the Trump administration over the new tariffs on foreign-made cars, calling them a "direct attack" and vowing to "defend our workers." The two leaders are expected to speak by phone Friday.