Ontario Premier Doug Ford has threatened to cut off electricity and critical mineral shipments to the United States if President Donald Trump continues to escalate the trade war, warning that “everything is on the table”.
“We power 1.5 million homes and businesses,” Ford said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Everything’s on the table. I’ll do whatever it takes”. If Trump continues trying to dismantle Canadian manufacturing, Ford added, “he better have a pack of batteries”.
Ford’s threat came after Prime Minister Mark Carney walked away from trade negotiations on Aug. 21. Washington responded by imposing 50% tariffs on roughly US$20 billion worth of Canadian goods, including autos, parts, and steel. Carney has said Canada will retaliate dollar-for-dollar starting Sept. 8.
Trump escalated further on Aug. 24, announcing that tariffs on all Canadian cars, trucks, auto parts, and steel would rise to 50% on Jan. 1, 2027.
The Minerals Leverage
Ontario’s leverage rests heavily on its mining sector. The province’s Sudbury Basin, where Vale and Glencore operate, is among the world’s largest nickel-producing regions, supplying a metal critical to stainless steel, electric-vehicle batteries, and defense applications. Cameco’s Blind River refinery is the world’s largest commercial uranium-refining facility.
Canada exported US$28.8 billion worth of critical minerals to the United States in 2025, roughly 57% of its total critical-mineral exports, according to Natural Resources Canada.
“I’ll cut them off,” Ford said of critical minerals. “You won’t get a grain of sand out of Ontario”.
“What would they do without the high-grade nickel that we ship down to the U.S.?” Ford asked.
The Electricity Threat
Ford also threatened to cut electricity exports to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York, a move he has used before. In March 2025, he imposed a 25% surcharge on electricity sold to those states after Trump threatened to double steel and aluminum tariffs; both sides ultimately backed down.
However, experts have warned that Ford’s electricity leverage may be limited. Canada supplies less than two percent of overall U.S. electricity generation. Professor Mark S. Winfield of York University said: “It’s just not a leverage point”.
Mexico Charts a Different Path
While Canada moves toward retaliation, Mexico has taken the opposite approach, and the contrast has shaped how Washington treats its two USMCA partners. US purchases from Mexico grew 6% year-on-year between January and November 2025 to US$492.5 billion, while imports from Canada fell 7% to US$351.2 billion. The gap largely reflects Mexico’s avoidance of direct retaliation, in contrast with Canada’s countermeasures.
The Bottom Line
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has threatened to cut electricity and critical mineral exports to the United States as the Canada-U.S. trade war escalates. The threat follows Trump’s imposition of 50% tariffs on Canadian goods and the collapse of trade negotiations. Ford said “everything is on the table,” citing Ontario’s nickel and uranium production as leverage. Experts warn the electricity threat may be overstated.
