Ontario premier Doug Ford calls snap election to fight Trump tariff threat

The premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, has said he will call an early election, citing the need for a strong mandate to fight against tariffs threatened by Donald Trump.

Doug Ford said he would meet the province’s lieutenant governor on Tuesday to dissolve his government and call an election on Wednesday, which would allow for voting on 27 February. The election had previously been slated for June of 2026.

Ontario, home to just under 40% of Canada’s 40 million people, is the country’s manufacturing heartland, and would be badly hit if Trump goes ahead with a threat to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports. The province is also one of the world’s largest sub-sovereign borrowers.

“The attack is coming against our families, our businesses, our communities, and with a strong mandate, we will be able to fight with Donald Trump,” Ford told reporters.

Ford has taken a leading role in a campaign to persuade Trump against imposing tariffs on Canadian exports to the US, frequently appearing on US television shows, and has mused about cutting off power supplies to the US and banning US alcohol products if necessary.

Ford is seeking a third consecutive majority mandate for his right-of-center Progressive Conservatives after sweeping victories in 2022 and in 2018.

Trump did not impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico after taking office on Monday, as he previously promised, but said he was thinking about imposing 25% duties on imports from the North American trade partners on 1 February over concerns about illegal immigrants and fentanyl crossing into the US.