Ontario sets 25% surcharge on energy exports to US to counter Trump tariffs
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Premier Doug Ford says province ‘won’t back down’ until US president retracts duties on Canada

Guardian staff and agencies

Mon 10 Mar 2025 13.46 EDT

Last modified on Tue 11 Mar 2025 11.15 EDT

The Canadian province of Ontario is imposing a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the states of New York, Michigan and Minnesota in protest against 's tariffs, the premier, Doug Ford, said on Monday.

“ are a disaster for the US economy. They’re making life more expensive for American families and businesses,” Ford said in a statement.

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Ford said the government had told the province’s Independent Electricity System Operator that any generator selling electricity to the US was now required to add a 25% surcharge valued at $10 per megawatt-hour to the cost of power.

At this level, the surcharge will generate revenue of C$300,000 to C$400,000 (US$208,000 to US$277,000) a day, the statement said.

Ontario, the country’s most populous province, has deep economic connections with the US that would be hit hard by Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs, which he has repeatedly promised, retracted and promised again.

Last month Ford cancelled the province’s $100m contract with Starlink, the satellite service owned by , who has been a key adviser to Trump. The move left some remote communities  for how to start providing internet access to their residents.

Ontario is also among several provinces to have , such as Jack Daniel’s whiskey, off its shelves in protest against Trump’s tariffs, which the US president has threatened against Mexico and other fellow traditional allies of the US.

_Reuters contributed reporting_

This article was amended on 11 March 2025 to correct the US dollar conversion figures.

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