China is being entertained by the trade war between the United States and Canada, Ontario premier, Doug Ford said on Wednesday.
In an interview with Kyra Phillips on ABC News, Ford emphasized that the US and Canada need to “get through” the face-off by reaching a truce.
Ford insists the tariffs are hurting the American and Candian people as well as both economies because the supply chain among the neighbors is integrated.
“We’re the two closest allies in the world,” he noted. “As we’re going back and forth against each other, China is laughing…building their arsenal of critical minerals and controlling 90 percent of some critical minerals around the world.”
The premier also observed “the market is tumbling, consumer confidence is down, and inflation is going up,” while the citizens bear the brunt.
“Call your congressperson, your senator, your governor, and voice your opinion. This is just going to hurt both sides of the borders,” he told Americans.
The best method to resolve the issue is negotiation, according to Ford. “We sit down across the table and work it out. That’s what we need to do rather than going tit for tat.”
He confirmed the US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick “put out the olive branch,” adding “If someone gives you a call, reaches out with an olive branch, and asks you to sit down, it would be foolish not to.”
Ford, however, stated that Trump doesn’t scare him and described the President as “a smart businessperson and a shrewd negotiator.”
The premier has been vocal against the US leader and his administration since the imposition of tariffs, which he called an “unprovoked attack” and “unacceptable.”
Ontario has suspended the electricity surcharge on energy exports to American states, including Michigan, Minnesota, and New York.
The pause and tariffs will be discussed at a scheduled meeting involving Lutnick and Ford on Thursday in Washington, D.C.
