Ontario’s Ford says Canada, U.S. should avoid trade war and take on China

Doug Ford told CNN that cutting off energy exports to the U.S. remained 'a tool that we have in our toolbox' to retaliate against Donald Trump's threat of tariffs.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Canada and the United States should work together to counter China, rather than engage in a damaging trade war — and has a message for Mexico to join them.

Speaking to CNN Monday night, Ford said cutting off energy exports to the U.S. remained “a tool that we have in our toolbox” to retaliate if U.S. president-elect Donald Trump follows through on his threat to slap 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian exports when he takes office next month.

However, Ford said “that’s the last thing I want to do,” adding he would prefer to boost U.S. trade and counter Chinese incursions into the North American market, which he says is largely being done through Mexico.

“I just feel we aren’t the enemy,” he told CNN. “The big problem, in my opinion, is China: cheap Chinese products going through Mexico. They’re slapping a ‘made-in-Mexico’ sticker on (products) and shipping them up through the U.S. and Canada and costing American and Canadian jobs.

“Mexico has to make a decision: you’re either with Beijing or you’re with Washington. I’ll tell you what Canadians are with, they’re with Washington.”

Ford has accused Mexico of acting as a “back door” for Chinese imports, particularly vehicles and auto parts, bypassing rules-of-origin restrictions in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) that replaced NAFTA in 2020.

Trump himself has highlighted the issue and said he will address it when the updated free trade pact comes up for review in 2026.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Ottawa shares concerns about Chinese investments in Mexico, which have also been raised by U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration. Last month, Trudeau suggested there could be “other options” for Mexico’s trade relationships with Canada and the U.S. if Mexico doesn’t address the issue, after growing calls from some premiers — led by Ford — to cut Mexico out of CUSMA entirely.