The leader of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, announced on Monday that he is canceling a contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink internet services in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada. Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated that he is also prohibiting American companies from securing provincial contracts. In November, Ford had signed a $100-million Canadian (U.S. $68 million) deal with Musk’s company to provide high-speed internet to remote residents in rural and northern Ontario. Ford expressed, “We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy.”
Ford attributed the decision to President Trump, mentioning, “President Trump is the only person to be blamed. Maybe Elon Musk can call his buddy? This is one of the ramifications.” He emphasized that U.S.-based businesses will miss out on “tens of billions of dollars” in potential revenues due to Ontario’s actions. Ford stated, “We just aren’t going to be using American companies,” and stressed the importance of sourcing materials locally, saying, “I don’t care if it’s a toothpick. We need to purchase from Canada and Ontario.”
Additionally, Ontario and other provinces had already planned to remove American liquor brands from government store shelves. Ford highlighted that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario sells nearly $1 billion worth of American alcoholic beverages annually. Ford asserted, “Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it.” He called for a four-year mandate that surpasses Trump’s term and urged businesses to label products with the Canadian flag to guide consumers on what to purchase.
Ford criticized Trump’s trade policies, stating, “This is a tax on American citizens. That’s what Donald Trump is doing to his own people.” He described Musk as part of the Trump team that aims to harm families’ incomes and businesses. Trump responded by proposing that Canada should become the 51st state of the U.S., citing trade imbalances and suggesting benefits such as lower taxes and enhanced military protection.
