Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she has spoken with Ontario Premier Doug Ford about how the latest U.S. tariffs will affect Ontario businesses and how Alberta can support its eastern cousin.
Smith reiterated that cutting Alberta energy exports to the United States is a non-starter, as Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said he wants to retaliate by cutting off energy and critical minerals exports to the United States. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will respond with counter-tariffs.
Smith spoke about the breakdown in trade talks between Canada and the United States in a social media post on Aug. 24. She said Canadians should be upset with how the trade negotiations went, since U.S. tariffs will harm both countries and “are straining one of the most successful trading relationships on Earth.” Unlike several other premiers, Smith hasn’t encouraged Ottawa on its counter-tariffs plan, saying in a past comment that trade wars hurt everyone.
The collapse in negotiations and the United States’ subsequent imposition of 50 percent tariffs on various Canadian products will lead to significant job losses in Canada, but Alberta will work to help businesses, workers, and families during these uncertain times, she said.
“I recognize that these tariffs have a disproportionate impact on Ontario businesses, and I’ve offered my support on how we can constructively work together to strengthen the Canadian economy,” Smith said.
Maintaining a strong energy sector is important since it creates a strong Canada and provides revenue that all levels of government can use to support affected sectors, the premier said. Alberta will accelerate the construction of the Northern Shield pipeline from Alberta to Ontario and the oil pipeline to the West Coast, along with other critical export infrastructure.
“As I’ve said in the past, cutting off Alberta energy exports to the U.S. would be extremely harmful to Canadians and is not a viable option,” she said.
“Right now, our focus must be on immediate action: supporting affected workers and businesses, dismantling interprovincial trade barriers, strong diplomacy and continuing to grow our export markets,” she added. “I look forward to discussing these constructive strategies with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada’s Premiers.”
Ford hasn’t yet issued a statement on his talk with Smith.
Ford’s Comments
Ford has threatened to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the United States, after the United States imposed new tariffs on Canada following the collapse of trade talks between Ottawa and Washington on Aug. 21.
“I’ll cut them off,” Ford said during an interview with the Associated Press published on Aug. 24, while discussing critical minerals. “You won’t get a grain of sand out of Ontario.”
The Ontario premier reiterated his position during a press conference in Hamilton that afternoon, noting that the prime minister had not asked him to tone down his comments.
Ford also discussed his threat to turn off electricity to Ontario’s American customers, saying the province would start with a surcharge and “escalate” the situation if the trade war continues.
In an Aug. 24 Truth Social post, U.S. President Donald Trump responded to comments that Ford and Carney made, saying Ford was the “less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford.” Rob Ford was a former mayor of Toronto who died in 2016 due to cancer.
“Their businesses are fleeing for the United States, and it’s all because of their failed policies, and inept leadership!” Trump wrote.
Meanwhile, Carney was asked at an Aug. 24 press conference whether he supported cutting off electricity and critical minerals to Washington. Carney said he wanted to begin with “positive initiatives,” and will see if “we need to do more.”
Carney added that since the American economy is much larger than Canada’s, it’s difficult to pursue a “dollar-for-dollar” counter-tariff strategy, so Canada’s tariffs will be more targeted.
