Ontario threatens US electricity cutoff as tariff war escalates

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Canada is ready to hit the United States with far more pain than President Donald Trump expects – including a complete cutoff of electricity exports.

"We can put massive pain on the US," Ford told reporters Monday. "President Trump underestimates us, and that's the biggest mistake: underestimating your opponent."

Ford said "everything's on the table" – electricity, critical minerals, fuel – if the trade war keeps escalating. He called on Canada's 10 provincial premiers to coordinate.

"We need everyone to be on Team Canada and throw everything and the kitchen sink at them," he said.

The latest round of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods took effect Saturday after talks broke down. The duties cover products from alcohol and hockey gear to paper and construction materials.

Canada sent $3.3 billion worth of electricity to the United States in 2025, according to Canadian government figures. More than 20 states buy Canadian power. New York, Michigan, Washington, Minnesota, and North Dakota are the largest buyers. New York and Michigan get most of their Canadian electricity from Ontario.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Ford said Ontario could halt those exports entirely. "Up here, we're at a fever pitch; everyone's in for an economic war," he told AP. "They know they're going to have to sacrifice."