HAMILTON, Canada
Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed disappointment Thursday over US President Donald Trump's tariff move against Canada, saying "he let us down."
Ford's remarks came ahead of his meeting with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, joined by Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, in Washington.
The meeting came after Ford suspended a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to US states, including Michigan and New York, as part of ongoing trade tensions.
Shortly after Ford announced the surcharge, Lutnick "sent out an olive branch" to the Ontario premier to "immediately meet with him."
In response, Trump announced an additional 25% increase Tuesday in tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50% in total and warned of a "National Emergency" on electricity imports.
"We want a constructive meeting. I just have to remind the American people, the President (Trump) and Secretary Lutnick: 'we’re your largest customer,'" Ford told Fox News, adding "there's no one that buys more products off the United States than we do."
Saying that "inflation is going to happen," Ford noted that "a tariff on Canada is a tax on the American people."
He warned that Americans are "going to be paying a lot more for everything, right across the board" if tariffs remains in place.
Ford was reminded of his past unwavering support for Trump, and he responded by saying "make no mistake about it, I was supporting him right up to this election. And then all of a sudden, he turned the guns on his closest friends and allies."
"It was so disappointing for the millions of Canadians that thought 'boy, we're going to have a better relationship. We're going to grow the economy.' He let us down," he added.
He further vowed to "never roll over" in the trade war with the US.
Asked to comment on Lutnick's remarks describing Canada as acting like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his recent heated exchange at the Oval Office, Ford said: "I'll make sure I thank him."
Earlier, Trump vowed to not "bend" on tariffs on Canada, saying: "We don't need their cars, we don't need their energy, we don't need their lumber.”