Ontario Premier Doug Ford is now apologizing to Americans for fallout from ongoing trade negotiations between Canada and the United States, calling for an end to “chaos” to save “millions of jobs.”
Ford ensured that trade contracts will be resolved between the two North American countries prior to the April 2nd deadline in an interview with WABC's “Cat and Cosby,” and added a highly Canadian “sorry” directed at US citizens.
“I want to apologise to the Americans. I spent 20 years of my life in the United States, in Chicago, New Jersey. I love Americans. Ford told hosts John Catosimitides and Rita Cosby.
“We're going to get through this. We're getting stronger together, the Canadian Prime Minister added.
Ford gave insight into negotiations with Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce, who praised him alongside President Trump.
“Secretary Rutnick and President Trump are great businessmen. They are hard negotiators. We need to put this behind us, move forward and build two of the most powerful countries in the world,” Ford said.
The Ontarian Prime Minister further characterized the conversation with the Trump administration as moving in a positive and productive direction.
“I said, 'This is confusion. We need to put an end to it. We have to sit and move this [tariff] Ford reported on the show.
He added that he believes the US and Canada are fighting on the same side of the wider economic war.
“I think that's the same conversation during that time. [myself and Lutnick] Ford told a New York radio host, “Our real enemy is China. We're not one another.”
“While we are going back and forth between each other, China is building important minerals and building everything else. We have to keep an eye on China,” Ford said.
The interview comes just hours after Ford rose to his tariff battle with Trump.
Ford announced a 25% extra charge on electricity exports to the US, but quickly halted tariffs on Tuesday after Trump rose with an additional 25% tariff increase on Canada's aluminum and steel.
The rising prices of Ontario energy services would have affected Americans near the Great Lakes in Michigan, Minnesota and New York.
Ford and secretary Lutnick announced in a joint statement Tuesday that they will meet in DC this week to avoid international escalation and resolve issues regarding tariff increases by next month's deadline.
“Committee Lutnick agreed to a public meeting in Washington on Thursday, March 13th, to discuss the USMCA with US trade representatives ahead of the April 2nd mutual tariff deadline.” Posted on his X account.
“In response, Ontario agreed to suspend a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to Michigan, New York and Minnesota,” Ford and Rutnick added in their joint statement.
Adding to the hardships on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Complex lost 478 points at closing bell Tuesday, bouncing back after a deeper loss earlier in the day.
“The market will rise and they will go down, but you know we have to rebuild our country,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.
