Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to journalists at a provincial and territorial leaders assembly in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Jan. 15, 2025.
Blair Gable | Reuters
The chief of Canada’s most populous province of Ontario mentioned Monday he is ripping up a contract with Elon Musk‘s Starlink web companies in response to U.S. President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tariffs on Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who mentioned he’s additionally banning American corporations from provincial contracts, signed a $100-million Canadian (U.S. $68 million) with Musk’s firm in November to ship high-speed web to distant residents in rural and northern Ontario.
“We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario will not do enterprise with individuals hellbent on destroying our economic system,” Ford mentioned.
“President Trump is the one individual to be blamed. Possibly Elon Musk can name his buddy? This is without doubt one of the ramifications.”
Ford mentioned U.S.-based companies will lose out on “tens of billions of {dollars}” in new revenues because of Ontario’s response.
Elon Musk attends the America First Coverage Institute gala at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Seashore, Florida, Nov. 14, 2024.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
“We simply aren’t going to be utilizing American corporations,” Ford mentioned. “And regardless of if we’re constructing a hospital, if we’re constructing something, if we’re constructing a canine home I wish to be sure we’re utilizing Ontario metal, Canadian merchandise, Canadian wooden, Ontario wooden, something.
“I do not care if it is a toothpick. We have to buy from Canada and Ontario.”
Ontario and different provinces already deliberate to take away American liquor manufacturers from authorities retailer cabinets. The Liquor Management Board of Ontario sells almost $1 billion price of American wine, beer, spirits and seltzers yearly, Ford pointed.
“Canada did not begin this combat with the U.S., however you higher consider we’re able to win it,” mentioned Ford, who known as an election for his province final week.
Ford mentioned he desires a 4 yr mandate that outlasts Trump’s time period. “He desires to return after us?” he requested. “I’ve but to listen to one American citizen say Canada is the issue.”
Canada and Mexico ordered retaliatory tariffs on American items in response to sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump. Ford additionally inspired companies to place the Canadian flag on merchandise so Canadians know what to purchase.
“It is a tax on Americans. That is what Donald Trump is doing to his personal individuals,” mentioned Ford, who described Musk as a part of the Trump staff “that desires to destroy households incomes, destroy companies. He wish to take meals off the desk of exhausting working individuals and I am not going to tolerate it.”
Trump responded Sunday, criticizing Canada’s commerce surplus with the US and contending that with out that surplus, “Canada ceases to exist as a viable Nation. Harsh however true! Due to this fact, Canada ought to turn out to be our Cherished 51st State. A lot decrease taxes, and much better army safety for the individuals of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS!”