TORONTO — While Premier Doug Ford said he is not certain how U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to impose tariffs on Ontario minerals, he said the province is ready to do whatever it takes to fight back.
Ford was speaking Monday at the Ontario booth at the annual Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) at Toronto's Metro Convention Centre.
Ford said Trump is stirring the pot with all his rhetoric on trade deficits. The premier’s advice is that Trump should not be picking a fight with Ontario.
"He wants to come in and, you know, disturb everything. Go after the rest of the world that's causing you a problem, not your No. 1 customer. Ontario alone is your third-largest trading partner in the world. Treat us with respect," said Ford.
The premier also spoke of the importance of Ontario nickel and said if the United States is not interested in buying nickel, there are plenty of other markets.
"Fifty per cent of your high-grade nickel that your military and manufacturing relies on, 50 per cent that you use, it comes from Sudbury, and I emphasize high grade because there's other nickel around the world, and China has the market cornered,” he said.
“But guess what, if we've got to stockpile nickel here to sell to the rest of the world and shut down your manufacturing, your military, I will do it in a heartbeat," said Ford.
"And to the president, I am a different type of cat. I will fight tooth and nail. I am not going to roll over and get annihilated," the premier added.
Sudbury.com asked Ford his opinion of comments made by Priya Tandon, president of the Ontario Mining Association, who spoke in Sudbury in February at the MineConnect annual general meeting.
Tandon said Ontario mining companies seem agreed that the response to U.S. tariffs should be "measured" and not "with guns blazing.”
Ford replied that he intends to fight for Ontario with whatever is needed.
"I've always said throughout the campaign, and even before the campaign, we need to match President Trump tariff by tariff, dollar for dollar, and that's exactly what we're going to do,” he said.
Ford said he still intends to stand shoulder to shoulder with the federal government and the province to present a united front to whatever action is taken by the United States.
The premier was accompanied on his PDAC visit by several Northern Ontario MPPs who were all recently re-elected, including Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli, Timmins MPP George Pirie and Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford, who previously represented cabinet portfolios for economic development, mining and northern development, respectively.
When asked if Ford had any intentions of cutting the size of his cabinet, he said the three northerners will continue in the cabinet posts for the time being, but added things might change at some point in the future.
"I want the best players on the ice," said Ford. “The problem is we have 80 players that are all the best players. That's the toughest decision you have to make.”
Len Gillis covers mining and health care for Sudbury.com.
