Ontario Premier Doug Ford is heading to Texas next week, bringing along his pro-trade and anti-tariff messages.
Ford will stop in Houston, Dallas, and Austin during his multi-day visit, which was initially reported by The .
The premier aims to emphasize the significance of Canada-U. S. trade while speaking with American business leaders and politicians in the state, stressing that President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada are causing more harm than good.
“President Trump’s tariffs on Canada are a tax on the U. S., costing the economy and families on both sides of the border billions. We are stronger when we work together, and our government is focused on driving economic growth for both our countries,” a statement from Ford’s office reads.
The tariffs impacting steel and automobile industries have hit Ontario particularly hard.
Canada’s attempts to persuade Trump to lift some sector-specific tariffs faced setbacks last October after Ford’s government aired a television ad in the United States featuring sound bites from an anti-tariff speech by former president Ronald Reagan.
Negotiations between representatives for both nations were progressing until Trump canceled talks, criticizing the ad as “fake.”
Ford took down the but has always stood by his decision to run it, calling it “the best ad that’s ever been run.”
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On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford will meet with Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican and ally of Trump. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The tariffs remain active as new discussions begin regarding renegotiating the Canada-U. S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
This month, Canada-U. S. Trade Minister Dominic Le Blanc met with U. S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington, D. C.
While CUSMA negotiations are led by the federal government, Ford is pushing forward with efforts to strengthen trade ties between Ontario and U. S. states.
<p His previous trip south was to New York in December when he and Governor Kathy Hochul signed an agreement focused on collaborating on nuclear energy.
Durring his trip to Texas he will meet representatives from companies like WM (formerly Waste Management), Westlake Corporation, Waste Connections, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc., Compass Datacenters, Toyota, Hewlett Packard and Mc Kesson-one of Texas’ major healthcare firms.
This Thursday, Ford is set to meet Texas Governor Greg Abbott-a Republican who aligns himself with Trump.
Abbott was first elected back in 2014 and is campaigning for another term this fall with Trump’s key endorsement. This meeting will mark their first encounter. “As he has for the last year leading up to CUSMA renegotiation, Premier Ford continues engaging directly with lawmakers from both parties at national and state levels to foster relationships while sharing his vision for Fortress Am-Can,” said a statement from Ford’s office. Fortress Am-Can represents Ford’s vision for a closer economic partnership between Canada and the U. S. The premier won’t be alone among Ontario politicians visiting next week; Stephen Lecce-his energy and mining minister-will be in Washington Monday alongside a delegation from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce looking to meet policymakers as well as industry associations. Their goal? To discuss keeping CUSMA intact while also eliminating Trump’s tariffs.
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Abbott was first elected back in 2014 and is campaigning for another term this fall with Trump’s key endorsement. This meeting will mark their first encounter. “As he has for the last year leading up to CUSMA renegotiation, Premier Ford continues engaging directly with lawmakers from both parties at national and state levels to foster relationships while sharing his vision for Fortress Am-Can,” said a statement from Ford’s office. Fortress Am-Can represents Ford’s vision for a closer economic partnership between Canada and the U. S. The premier won’t be alone among Ontario politicians visiting next week; Stephen Lecce-his energy and mining minister-will be in Washington Monday alongside a delegation from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce looking to meet policymakers as well as industry associations. Their goal? To discuss keeping CUSMA intact while also eliminating Trump’s tariffs.
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