Ontario’s Doug Ford says Canada will block energy to U.S. in response to tariffs

The head of Canada’s largest province says he’s ready to fight back if President-elect Donald Trump imposes tariffs on goods from America’s northern neighbor.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, speaking after a midweek meeting of Canadian premiers, said the counter will be to shut off energy supplies.

“We’re going to put our list together, and I’m sure the other provinces will as well. But we will go to the full extent, depending on how far this goes,” Mr. Ford told reporters. “We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy.”

He added, “We need to be ready. We need to be ready to fight. This fight is coming 100% on Jan. 20th or Jan. 21.”

Mr. Trump recently threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico if they fail to rein in illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

Tariffs are a form of tax or duty paid on imports. Mr. Trump says tariffs are a great way to force companies to return to America or keep their operations in the U.S., employ American workers and create revenue to fund domestic programs.

While tariffs hurt foreign countries by making their products more expensive and harder to sell in the U.S., foreign countries don’t pay the tariffs directly to the U.S. Treasury.

Companies pay the levies and decide whether to pass the cost to consumers through higher prices.

It’s unclear if Mr. Trump will follow through on his threat or if he’s trying to compel policy outcomes before his inauguration.

Canada is a large exporter of crude oil to the U.S., so its threat to cut off supplies could pack a punch.

At the same time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to patch things up by jetting to Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate to discuss the mutual pain their countries would feel from a tariff war.

Mr. Trump joked that Canada could become the 51st state if it couldn’t handle the tariffs. Later, he referred to Mr. Trudeau as “governor.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, meanwhile, said she’s open to collaboration with Mr. Trump, but took a hard line in a written response to the president-elect’s threat. She said Mexico is doing its part to stop mass caravans of migrants from reaching the U.S. and that Mr. Trump should focus on the root causes of migration.

Ms. Sheinbaum suggested fentanyl is flowing from Mexican cartels to the U.S. because Americans are hooked on drugs, and her deputies say Mr. Trump’s tariff threat would devastate the intertwined car industry in both countries.

Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group advisory company, gave Mexico higher marks than Canada in dealing with Mr. Trump.

“Trudeau hopping on a flight to Mar-a-Lago on back of U.S. tariff threat (is correctly) perceived as [Canadian] weakness by President-elect Trump,” Mr. Bremmer posted on X. “Sheinbaum has handled this better.”