Some Canadian premiers are urging Ottawa to respond robustly to the threat of tariffs from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump and have highlighted critical minerals and metals as products that the U.S. relies on, Canada's Finance Minister said on Dec. 11.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other government ministers met with provincial premiers to discuss Trump's pledge to impose steep tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports after he is sworn in as President in January.
That pledge has raised fears of a trade war between the U.S. and two of its biggest trading partners.
"A number of premiers offered strong support for a robust Canadian response that included some of the premiers proactively naming critical minerals and metals that their provinces produce, and which are exported to the United States," Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters after the meeting.
Canada's emphasis right now is on reaching out to U.S. officials, Freeland said, adding that Canadian business and labor leaders are also getting in touch with their U.S. counterparts.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said energy exports to the United States could also be halted, without offering further details.
Ontario exports electricity to the U.S. but does not produce any of the 4 MMbbl/d of oil that Canada ships south of the border.
"We'll use every tool in our toolbox, including cutting them off energy that we're sending down," Ford told reporters.
Trudeau on Dec. 9 said Canada would respond to unfair tariffs, as it did during the last Trump presidency when Ottawa added tariffs to goods including bourbon, Harley Davidson motorcycles and cherries.
Trump has said he will keep protectionist trade measures in place until Canada and Mexico clamp down on drugs and migrants crossing the borders into the U.S.
The federal government also discussed planned border security measures with the premiers, said Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc, adding Canada would next share those details with Trump's team once they are finalized.
Recommended Reading
The Wall: Uinta, Green River Gas Fills West Coast Supply Gaps
2025-03-05 - Gas demand is rising in the western U.S., and Uinta and Green River producers have ample supply and takeaway capacity.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners Buys Colonial Pipeline for $9B
2025-04-04 - Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP has agreed to acquire Colonial Enterprises, the owner of the Colonial Pipeline, in a deal valued at $9 billion.
Western Midstream to Build Permian Produced Water Pipeline
2025-02-26 - Western Midstream is investing up to $450 million to expand its produced water infrastructure, including the Pathfinder pipeline to transport produced water to disposal facilities in the Delaware Basin.
Targa Buys Back Bakken Assets After Strong 2024
2025-02-20 - Targa Resources Corp. is repurchasing its interest in Targa Badlands LLC for $1.8 billion and announced three new projects to expand its NGL system during its fourth-quarter earnings call.
Polar LNG Express: North American NatGas Dynamics to Change with LNG Canada
2025-02-21 - The next major natural gas export project in North America has a location advantage with Asian markets. LNG Canada opens up a new pathway that will change the price dynamics for producers.
Comments
Add new comment
This conversation is moderated according to Hart Energy community rules. Please read the rules before joining the discussion. If you’re experiencing any technical problems, please contact our customer care team.