Premiers Ford and Houston appeal to governors in latest push to stop Trump’s tariffs

CITYnews halifax / By Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston are reaching out to state governors in Washington, D.C. as the deadline to avert U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs inches closer.

The premiers are to attend the National Governors Association winter meeting Friday, where Trump and key members of his team are set to give speeches.

“We can’t take our foot off the gas — we must continue discussions on how this valued partnership has benefited both Canada and the United States,” Houston said in a news release Wednesday.

Trump’s executive order to implement devastating duties on all Canadian imports to the United States was paused until March 4 after Canada agreed to introduce new security measures at the border.

The president said the pause would allow time to reach a “final economic deal” — but it’s still not clear what Trump ultimately wants.

Friday’s diplomatic push comes a week after all 13 premiers travelled to the U.S. capital, where they were warned by Trump’s aides that the president is serious about annexing Canada.

Houston said the meetings in Washington were productive and “Americans are realizing the negative impact these tariffs would have on both sides of the border.”

“It is my sincere hope and my primary focus to avoid tariffs altogether and continue with a mutually beneficial trade relationship,” Houston added.

Trump’s first month in office has seen him push through changes at breakneck speed and use tariff threats in an attempt to realign global trade.

The president signed an executive order last week to implement “reciprocal tariffs” by raising U.S. duties to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports. Those levies could come into force in early April.

That order comes in the wake of Trump’s previous orders to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, including Canadian products, starting March 12.

Trump also has floated the idea of tariffs on automobiles and forest products.

Canada has been repeatedly caught in the crosshairs of Trump’s focus on tariffs. The president continues to voice the false claim that the U.S. subsidizes Canada to the tune of US$200 billion per year.

Canada accounts for one of the United States’ smallest trade deficits and it’s largely the result of U.S. demand for energy products. Canada is also the largest export market for the U.S.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States allowed uneven trade imbalances to develop for decades because “we want countries to be strong economically” and “we don’t want them to fall victim to some internal Marxist coup that overturns their government.”

“The days where we just allow countries to take advantage of us — that has to end. That’s not good for the global order,” Rubio said in an interview with Catherine Herridge for X published Thursday.

“That leads to unbalances that create friction points. That’s the case with Canada.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2025.