Ontario Premier Doug Ford is set to hold a news conference Tuesday morning, hours after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump said he would slap a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian and Mexican goods when he takes office.
Ford is scheduled to speak to media at Queen’s Park at 10:15 a.m. ET. You can watch it live in this story.
Trump threatened the severe tariff in a post on social media platform Truth Social late Monday.
“This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” Trump wrote.
“Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”
Ford reacted almost immediately in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying the tariff would be “devastating to workers and jobs in both Canada and the U.S.” and calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call an “urgent meeting” with provincial and territorial premiers.
“The federal government needs to take the situation at our border seriously. We need a Team Canada approach and response—and we need it now.”
Trudeau spoke to Trump on the phone late Monday, and also held calls with Ford and Quebec Premier François Legault.
Trudeau said early Tuesday he intends to hold a meeting with provincial and territorial leaders in the coming days.