Ford urges Ontarians to buy local in retaliation for U.S. aluminum tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is lashing out at U.S. President Donald Trump over his administration’s new aluminum tariffs.

Trump announced Thursday that he would be re-imposing a 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imported from Canada, saying the step was necessary to defend the U.S. aluminum industry.

Ford says he’s disappointed in the president for potentially compromising a historically strong trade relationship.

He notes Trump’s decision also comes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when industries around the world are struggling with ongoing economic fallout.

In response, the premier is urging Ontario residents to “hit ’em where it hurts,” describing the province and its consumer base as an economic powerhouse.

He says Ontario manufacturers should more aggressively label their goods as “made in Ontario” to help consumers buy local products.

During an afternoon news conference Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the tariffs would hurt, rather than help, the United States.

“In imposing these tariffs the United States has taken the absurd decision to harm it’s own people at a time when it’s economy is suffering the deepest crisis since the Great Depression,” she said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These tariffs will hurt American consumers and they will hurt American workers.”

Freeland went on to call the tariffs, “unnecessary, unwarranted and entirely unacceptable.”