Canada and U.S. Leaders Convene in Washington Over Escalating Trade Tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Canadian officials aim to ease tensions with the Trump administration following reciprocal tariff threats and energy surcharge disputes.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc are meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to address trade disputes involving steel, aluminum, and energy exports.
Canada has implemented retaliatory tariffs on $29.8 billion worth of U.S. goods in response to the Trump administration's 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.
Ford temporarily paused a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to three U.S. states after Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian goods, prompting a White House invitation.
The meeting is seen as a critical opportunity to de-escalate trade tensions and potentially accelerate renegotiations of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Ontario's energy surcharge and the possibility of cutting off power exports remain on the table, depending on the outcome of the discussions in Washington.