Ontario Premier Doug Ford Apologizes to Americans Amid Tariff War

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has issued an apology to the American public due to the ongoing trade negotiations affecting Canada and the United States. He emphasized the need to end the current "chaos" to protect millions of jobs on both sides of the border.

During an interview on WABC’s "Cats and Cosby," Ford expressed his commitment to reaching a trade deal before the April 2 deadline and extended a friendly Canadian "sorry, eh" to Americans. He stated, "I want to apologize to the American people. I spent 20 years of my life in the US, in New Jersey, in Chicago. I love the American people. I absolutely love them," which reflected his deep ties to the U.S.

Ford reassured listeners that both Canada and the U.S. would get through these challenging times. He stated, "We’re stronger together. We’ll always be united." He provided insights into his discussions with Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, praising Lutnick and President Trump as "brilliant businesspeople" who are tough negotiators. According to Ford, resolving trade issues is crucial to moving forward and strengthening the two neighboring countries.

He highlighted the importance of collaboration, saying, "This is chaos. We have to put an end to it. We have to sit down and move this tariff deal up from April." Ford expressed optimism that his conversations with Lutnick had saved many jobs across the border, emphasizing that "Our real enemy is China. It’s not each other." He underlined that while the two nations may have disputes, they should focus on the greater economic challenge posed by China.

This interview came shortly after Ford had to retract a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S. He initially implemented this surcharge but suspended it after President Trump responded with a corresponding tariff increase on Canadian aluminum and steel. This potential surcharge would have significantly impacted Americans living near the Great Lakes in states like Michigan, Minnesota, and New York.

In a joint statement, Ford and Secretary Lutnick announced that they managed to avert an international escalation in tariffs and agreed to meet in Washington, D.C. soon to sort out the issues before the upcoming deadline. Ford later tweeted that Secretary Lutnick would meet him alongside the United States Trade Representative to discuss a refreshed USMCA agreement before April 2, which highlighted the collaboration between the two governments.

Following this news, Ford’s decision to suspend the surcharge was well-received, reinforcing the diplomatic efforts between the two governments. Meanwhile, the financial markets reflected the tension, with significant fluctuations noted on Wall Street, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped and then partially recovered during the trading day.

In conclusion, both leaders are hopeful that with unified efforts, they can diminish trade barriers and work together on common challenges, thereby fostering a more prosperous economic relationship.

apology, trade, negotiations