Doug Ford says U.S. expected to impose ‘global tariff’ on April 2

Doug Ford says he is working to ensure Canada is “first in line for exemptions” as U.S. officials told him they plan to impose a “global tariff” on trading partners as of April 2.

Ford’s comment comes after his meeting last week in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other federal government representatives.

“They’re going to put a global tariff on the whole world on [April 2]. What we are working at is making sure that we are first in line for exemptions,” Ford told reporters at Queen’s Park on Tuesday.

He added that on April 2 markets may continue to fall when the new wave of tariffs get imposed: “We told the administration very clearly how we feel these tariffs are going to hurt the American people. Yes, it’s going to hurt Canada but it’s going to hurt the American people.”

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Ford explained that the U.S. government is targeting their tariffs towards Canadian lumber, steel, aluminum and the tech sector.

The premier, along with federal ministers Dominic LeBlanc and François-Philippe Champagne, met Thursday with Lutnick after Ford agreed Tuesday to suspend a 25 per cent electricity surcharge he placed on exports to three U.S. states a day earlier.

That concession came after Trump threatened to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent in response to the surcharge. But Ford says he is keeping the surcharge on the table but won’t do anything to jeopardize negotiations.

The premier says officials on both sides of the border had a follow-up conversation Monday night and plan to continue the discussion next week.

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– With files from The Canadian Press