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DETROIT (WWJ) -- Despite the pause on President Donald Trump's new tariffs for automakers, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he will continue with a retaliatory tariff on electricity shipped to Michigan.
Starting Monday, March 10, Ford said the province will charge 25% more for electricity shipped to three U.S. states: Michigan, Minnesota and New York.
Some 1.5 million U.S. residents will be impacted, with electricity bills expected to increase for at least Michiganders.
Ford estimated the new tariff will add about $69 a month to the bills of each American affected.
Dan Scripps, chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission spoke with WWJ Newsradio 950's Tim Pamplin about the consequences of Ford's tariffs and potential changes to the electric grid.
"I think the consequences could be real," Scripps said, in an interview Monday. "I mean, if he followed through and did ultimately severe the connections... The thing is, it's a lose-lose proposition; that both sides benefit from our shared system, and if that were to be restricted, both sides would lose from having their layer of resilience."
All of that said, DTE Energy stated Monday that that it's customers in Michigan "should not see an impact" as a result of Ontario's electricity tariff.
In a statement to WWJ, a DTE spokesperson said: "We self-generate the majority of electricity required to serve our customers’ needs, with the small amount that we do purchase coming from the United States."
Under Trump's order. imports from Canada and Mexico are now taxed at 25%, with Canadian energy products subject to 10% import duties. After meeting with leaders of the Big Three last week, Trump granted U.S. automakers a one-month exemption from the tariffs — but that move alone didn't seem to change Ford's mind.
“If they want to try to annihilate Ontario, I will do everything — including cut off their energy with a smile on my face,” Ford told reporters at a mining convention in downtown Toronto, the Toronto Sun reported.
“They rely on our energy. They need to feel the pain. They want to come at us hard, we’re going to come back twice as hard,” Ford said, adding: “I [didn’t] start this tariff war, but we’re going to win this tariff war."
Trump has said the tariffs are needed to force Mexico and Canada to step up their fight against fentanyl trafficking and stop illegal immigration. Trump has also indicated that he wants to even out the trade imbalance with both countries as well and push more factories to relocate to the U.S.