# Ontario Premier Doug Ford Ready to Show US His Power Electricity and critical minerals on the table in Canada-US trade war - **Source:** [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com) - **Published:** 2026-08-24 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/656c872f-2c69-42d1-8a8e-0723af61f0be ## Canada-US trade war escalates Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that Canada is ready to further escalate the trade war with the US. Ford stated that electricity, critical minerals, and fuel exports could be used against the US. US President Donald Trump announced that tariffs on cars, trucks, auto parts, and steel products would increase to 50% starting in 2027. ## Electricity exports under threat Canada exports electricity to the US via cross-border transmission lines. In 2025, Canada's electricity exports to the US were valued at $3.3 billion. New York and Michigan are among the states that import the most electricity from Ontario. Ford stated that Ontario could completely cut off electricity exports to the US. ## Critical minerals and fuels on the table Ford said Canada could also use other products such as oil, nickel, uranium, and potash in the trade war. He emphasized that the premiers of Canada's 10 provinces need to act together against the US. Ford stated, "We can use everything against the US." ## Trump's harsh response to Ford Trump described Ford as "bluster" in a Truth Social post and labeled him as "less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive." The White House did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Tensions between the US and Canada began when Trump imposed broad tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico in 2025. ## Canada's retaliatory tariffs Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the country would retaliate against US tariffs "dollar-for-dollar." Canada is expected to implement its own tariffs starting September 8. Canadians renewed calls to boycott US goods. ## Electricity cut-off could spark economic war Ford said Ontario cutting off electricity exports to the US could spark an economic war. "Everyone here is ready for an economic war," he said. More than 20 US states import electricity from Canada. An electricity cut-off could particularly affect major importers like New York and Michigan. ## Canadians boycott US goods Canadians began boycotting some US goods in response to Trump's tariffs. Calls to avoid travel to the US were also made. The latest tariffs renewed calls for Canadians to boycott US goods. Canada's retaliatory tariffs could further escalate the trade war between the two countries. ## Impact of the trade war The Canada-US trade war could seriously affect economic relations between the two countries. An electricity cut-off and the use of critical minerals could create significant pressure on the US economy. Canada's retaliatory tariffs could cause the trade war to intensify further. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.businessinsider.com/doug-ford-canada-could-cut-off-electricity-us-critical-minerals-2026-8 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._