Doug Ford threatens to cut off Canadian electricity to the US, then reveals exactly how many homes and businesses would go dark

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has threatened to cut off electricity and critical mineral exports to the United States amid an escalating trade dispute over proposed tariffs. As detailed by Unilad, the threat comes after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the latest U.S. trade demands, including a proposed 50 percent tariff on Canadian vehicles, parts, and steel, appear aimed at dismantling Canada’s auto industry.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Ford said Canada would not back down from the dispute, stating, “He underestimates Canada. We’re all in.” He added that Canadians are prepared for what he described as an economic conflict.

Carney noted that Canada is the largest customer for U.S.-made automobiles and questioned the impact tariffs could have on auto workers in states such as Alabama, Kentucky, and Ohio that depend on Canadian demand. He described the two countries’ automotive partnership as the most successful in history.

Ford says Ontario supplies power to 1.5 million homes and businesses in the US

Ford said Ontario currently supplies electricity to 1.5 million homes and businesses in the United States and warned he would restrict the flow of both electricity and critical minerals if tariffs proceed. “I’ll cut them off,” he said, adding that Ontario would not export “a grain of sand” if the dispute continues.

The Pentagon has been seeking more secure sources of critical minerals for use in military aircraft, electronics, and missiles to reduce reliance on China. Ford said Ontario supplies high-grade nickel and refined uranium used for those purposes, in addition to electricity serving Michigan, Minnesota, and New York.

According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States imported more than 27 million megawatt-hours of electricity from Canada in 2024, making it the largest source of U.S. electricity imports, more than four times the volume received from Mexico. Akshaya Jha, an assistant professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, said much of that supply is hydropower, and that tariffs on Canadian electricity imports could raise prices for U.S. consumers by shifting more demand to domestic natural gas production, as reported by Newsweek.

Ford also said he had opposed a preliminary trade agreement Carney was considering before negotiations broke down, citing his unwillingness to restore American liquor to Ontario store shelves and objections to U.S. demands he said would have limited Canada’s ability to negotiate with other countries.

Despite the dispute, Ford said he supports continuing negotiations, stating, “I never believe in walking away from the table.”