Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province is prepared to cut power exports and restrict critical minerals.
Why it matters: The warning lands with utilities and manufacturers in Michigan, Minnesota and New York that rely on Ontario-linked power flows. It also raises stakes for Ontario industries that depend on cross-border trade and shared energy infrastructure.
- Ford told The Associated Press on Aug. 24 that "everything is on the table."
- Ontario has said it exports electricity directly to Michigan, New York and Minnesota and has transmission interconnections with those states.
- The province earlier imposed a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to Michigan, Minnesota and New York, according to the AP and Ontario government release.
- Ford also raised critical minerals as a possible retaliation target, but did not name specific minerals or a restriction mechanism.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province is ready to escalate retaliation if U.S.-Canada trade tensions worsen, including by cutting electricity exports and targeting critical minerals. He told The Associated Press that "everything is on the table" and that he would "do whatever it takes."
Ford framed electricity as a direct pressure point, saying Ontario powers about 1.5 million homes and businesses. He also said higher electricity prices or stopping power shipments south are options under consideration.
Ontario has already used that leverage. The AP reported that the province imposed a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to Michigan, Minnesota and New York before both sides backed away. Ontario's government said in a March 2025 release that it exports electricity directly to those three states and has transmission interconnections with them.
Ford also mentioned critical minerals as a possible target, but the reporting does not identify which minerals he meant, how Ontario would restrict them or when any move might happen. That makes the threat more a signal of escalation than a specific policy plan.
Any step to restrict power or minerals would matter for utilities, industrial users and supply chains across the Great Lakes and Northeast, while also carrying risk for Ontario's own power grid and resource-dependent sectors.
By the numbers
- 1.5 million - homes and businesses Ontario says it powers
- 25% - surcharge Ontario previously imposed on electricity exports to Michigan, Minnesota and New York
- 3 - U.S. states named in Ontario's electricity export release: Michigan, Minnesota and New York
Yes, but: The critical minerals threat is still vague: the available reporting does not identify the minerals, the restriction tool or a timeline.