Doug Ford just took Canada’s trade war against the US to a new level

Ontario Primer Doug Ford promised his government would respond to any tariffs Donald Trump placed on Canada with force. However, Ford’s most recent move was a major hit to America that will have real consequences. 

Ford had previously floated cutting Ontartio’s energy exports to the United States along with banning American alcohol from shelves in the province, something that the Premier did do, but now he has gone one step further. 

In an effort to make Trump’s decisions hurt, Ford announced that Ontario would ban all American companies from provincial contracts on X. The ban was effective immediately and also targeted one of Trump’s closest allies. 

“Every year, the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario.U.S.-based businesses will now lose out on tens of billions of dollars in new revenues,” Ford wrote on X. 

“They only have President Trump to blame,” Ford continued, adding: “We’re going one step further. We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy.”

Ending Ontario’s recent Starlink contract will come as a major blow to rural Canadians but it is an even bigger pain for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the man some think might be behind some of Trump’s more worrying economic policies. 

CBC News reported that the Ontario government signed a $100 million dollar deal with Starlink in November 2024. The deal was meant to help provide internet access to up to 15,000 eligible homes and businesses in rural Ontario.  

Whether or not Ford’s decision was a deliberate jab at Elon Musk is unknown, but Ford hasn’t been very quiet about his dislike for the SpaceX and Starlink CEO. On February 3rd, he called out Musk by name during a speaking event. 

Ford explained that Musk was a "part of the Trump team that wants to destroy families, incomes, destroy businesses” and added that he wanted “to take food off the table of people, hard-working people, and I'm not going to tolerate it."

The Ontario Premier is currently in the midst of an election set to take place on February 27th. He has positioned himself as needing a new mandate from Ontarians to counter the economic policies and trade decisions of the new Trump administration. 

Photo Credit: Facebook @fordnation

“Canada didn't start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we're ready to win it,” Ford wrote in his message on X. Who his decision will hurt most has yet to be seen, but it was a bold move in response to the tariffs Trump placed on Canada on February 1st, 2025. 

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