CLOSE X By James Bickerton US News Reporter Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Monday that he would block energy exports to the United States "with a smile" if U.S. President Donald Trump moved ahead with plans for a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods.Trump announced on Monday that tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China would go into effect on Tuesday.Newsweek contacted Ford's office for comment via email outside regular office hours.Why It MattersIn response to Trump's tariffs, Ottawa and Beijing have announced plans to retaliate, sparking fears of a global trade war.The U.S. imposed tariffs of 25 percent of Canadian goodsexcept for energy products, which face a 10 percent tariff. It also put a 25 percent tariff on imports from Mexico and an additional 10 percent on Chinese goods.According to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Canada is by some margin the largest source of American energy imports, with 59 percent of all crude oil imported into the U.S. in 2019 coming from the country. So energy imports give Canada a powerful lever to hit back at the Trump administration in a way that is likely to raise prices and stoke inflation in the U.S.Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, at Canada's Premiers Conference in Toronto on December 16 and U.S. President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 3.Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, at Canada's Premiers Conference in Toronto on December 16 and U.S. President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 3.GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/ROBERTO SCHMIDT/GETTY What To KnowSpeaking at a mining convention on Monday, Ford, a progressive conservative, addressed the Trump administration directly."I don't start a tariff war, but we're going to win this tariff war," he said, adding, "If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everythingincluding cut off their energy with a smile on my face, and I'm encouraging every other province to do the same."Ford added: "They rely on our energy. They need to feel the pain."In an NBC interview on Monday, Ford said Canadian energy kept "the lights on for 1.5 million homes and manufacturing [facilities] in New York, in Michigan and in Minnesota."Trump said the tariffs were being introduced in response to Mexico and Canada failing to stem the tide of fentanyl and illegal migrants across their respective borders. He also argued that Mexico and Canada, which had trade surpluses with the U.S., had been taking advantage of the country.The tariffs were initially intended to come into effect in February, but Trump delayed them for a month following conversations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.According to federal figures, 0.2 percent of U.S. fentanyl seizures took place at the Canadian border in the 2024 fiscal year, compared to 96.6 percent at the Mexican border. Last year, there was an increase in illegal immigration across the border between the U.S. and Canada, though the level remained far below migration across the southern border.Trump has expressed a desire for Canada to become the U.S.'s 51ststate, and he has taken to referring to Trudeau as "governor." In response, some Canadians have booed the U.S. national anthem at various sporting events in Canada, while others have launched a boycott of American products.In 2024, Canada provided more than 4 million barrels of oil to the U.S. per day, more than all the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries combined, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.What People Are SayingOntario Premier Doug Ford told NBC on Monday: "I'm going after absolutely everything, and I don't want to. We keep the lights on for 1.5 million homes and manufacturing in New York, in Michigan and in Minnesota. If he wants to destroy our economy and our families, I will shut down the electricity going down to the U.S., and I'm telling you we will do it."President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on February 27: "We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops, or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled."Canadian Foreign Minister Mlanie Joly said on Monday: "If Trump is imposing tariffs, we are ready. We are ready with $155 billion worth of tariffs, and we're ready with the first tranche of tariffs, which is $30 billion."What Happens NextIf Canada restricts energy exports to the U.S., it is unlikely to cause power shortages. However, it will likely increase prices for businesses and private households, causing further inflation.It remains to be seen whether business interests on both sides of the border will put pressure on their respective governments to agree to a deal that would end the tariffs. fairness meterfairness meterNewsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair.Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair.Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. Click On Meter To Rate This ArticleConfirm your selectionComment on your rating Share