Canada could cut off electricity to the US, official says: 'Everything's on the table'

Canadians aren't playing around.

Doug Ford, premier of Ontario, Canada's astir populous province, says Canada is consenting to spell overmuch further successful the escalating trade war pinch the US than President Donald Trump realizes.

"We tin put monolithic symptom connected the US," Ford told reporters during a searing property convention connected Monday. "President Trump underestimates us, and that's the biggest mistake: underestimating your opponent."

If the waste and acquisition warfare continues to ramp up, Ford said "everything's connected the table," including electricity, captious minerals, and fuel. He added that Canadian premiers, who lead Canada's 10 provinces, needed to activity together to put unit connected the US.

"We request everyone to beryllium connected Team Canada and propulsion everything and the room descend astatine them," he said.

Trump's latest information of tariffs connected Canada took effect connected Saturday aft talks betwixt the North American friends fell through. The tariffs effect a scope of Canadian goods, from alcohol and lucky equipment to insubstantial and building materials.

Canada supplies energy to the US via cross-border transmission lines. In 2025, Canada exported $3.3 cardinal worthy of energy to the US, according to Canadian authorities figures.

Over 20 states import energy from Canada, pinch New York, Michigan, Washington, Minnesota, and North Dakota among the largest importers, according to Canadian export information from June. New York and Michigan were the largest importers of energy from Ontario.

In an question and reply pinch The Associated Press connected Monday, Ford said he could trim disconnected energy exports from Ontario to the US entirely. "Up here, we're astatine a fever pitch; everyone's successful for an economical war," he told AP. "They cognize they're going to person to sacrifice."

During the property conference, Ford pointed to respective different Canadian products imported by the US that could beryllium leveraged successful the trade dispute, including oil, nickel, uranium, and potash.

"He wants to put symptom connected Canadians? We'll leverage each spot of symptom we perchance tin connected Americans," he said.

Ford besides doubled down connected a remark he made earlier connected Monday during a power question and reply successful which he said Trump tin "kiss my ass."

Trump has besides ramped up his rhetoric and threats successful the waste and acquisition war. The president said Monday that starting January 1, 2027, tariffs connected cars, trucks, car parts, and alloy would beryllium accrued to 50%. Trump besides called retired Ford directly.

"Lots of 'bluster' from Doug Ford, who is the Premier of the Canadian Province of Ontario, but who is amended known arsenic the little charismatic, intelligent, and wide unimpressive relative of the late, great, Rob Ford," Trump said successful a Truth Social post.

The White House did not respond to a petition for remark from Business Insider.

Tensions betwixt the US and Canada person been strained since early 2025, erstwhile Trump levied wide tariffs connected equipment from Canada and Mexico.

Canadians responded by boycotting immoderate US equipment and avoiding recreation to the US. The latest tariffs person renewed calls for Canadians to boycott American goods.

Canada is expected to denote its ain retaliatory tariffs connected the US. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the state will lucifer US tariffs "dollar-for-dollar" starting September 8.