Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that if President Donald Trump removes tariffs, Canada will drop all of their tariffs.
Host Andrew Ross Sorkin said, “Do you expect this to be a negotiation? meaning there has been a sense, implied or otherwise, that we’re going to hear a number, whether it’s 20% or something else, as a sort of top, and that if folks like yourself come forward and say, you know what, we’re going to take some tariffs off of this and we’re going to do this, perhaps that those tariff numbers come down?”
Ford said, “Well, let’s hope so. Let’s sit down and discuss this because it’s just going to hurt American jobs. I can’t stress it enough and you know again he believes he’s supporting Americans. He said he was going to create jobs, create wealth, reduce inflation it’s worked the total opposite.”
Ross Sorkin said, “But do you think it’s fair that you have tariffs on a whole number of products.”
Ford said, “That’s right. And we’d be willing to take those off tomorrow if he took all the tariffs off. We are not the problem. Andrew do you know the problem is? China is the problem. And he’s taking a blind eye to China as they continue to build their critical mass. We have all the critical minerals that our great neighbors need. we have the energy that our great neighbors need.”
Ross Sorkin said, “I just want to go back for a moment. If, in fact, you’re prepared to take your tariffs off, why wouldn’t you have that negotiation and that conversation now before any tariffs get put in place?”
Ford said, “Well, we’ve had we’ve had this conversation for over the last month we don’t want tariffs. We have another $65 billion with a tariffs to launch today. That’s the last thing we want to do because it’s just again it’s going to hurt both countries. It’s going to hurt American workers.”
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