‘This can come to a quick end’: Doug Ford says U.S. economy is losing out as Canadians boycott country

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer about trade issues between Canada and the U.S. under Trump.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that the U.S. economy is losing out on “tens of billions of dollars” as Canadians continue to boycott the country amid a trade war.

Ford made the comment during an interview with CNN on Thursday morning.

“The Americans are losing out on tens of billions of dollars no matter if it is going down to Florida or going to Las Vegas or any other place that we go,” Ford said. “It is unfortunate that Canadians are boycotting and boycotting spending tens of billions of dollars in the U.S. This can come to a quick end, everyone can thrive and prosper.”

• PM Carney says U.S. trade irritants ‘right there in front of us.’ Follow live updates here.

Ford’s latest comments come after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called the ongoing boycott of U.S. alcohol by some provinces, including Ontario, “insulting and disrespectful to America.”

Ford was asked to respond to those comments by CNN host Wolf Blitzer on Thursday.

“I guess what is disrespectful is we never started this tariff war and I don’t believe the American people did. It was Secretary Lutnick followed by President Trump as well that attacked our joint economies,” he said Thursday when played a clip of Lutnick’s comments.

Ford has previously said that Ontario will not lift its ban on U.S. alcohol at provincial liquor stores until all new tariffs on Canadian goods are removed.

However, the measure has drawn the ire of some U.S. officials.

On Wednesday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told a U.S. House Ways and Means Committee hearing that the U.S. administration is “kind of at the end of our rope in just asking” for the ban to be lifted and that there may have to be “an enforcement action to deal with this issue.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney, for his part, told reporters on Thursday that he sees it as largely a provincial government issue.

“He is the duly elected premier of Ontario, he has got a majority and he has taken a view and he has taken a view by which most indications is supported by the vast majority of the population,” he said.

Speaking with CNN on Thursday, Ford said that Canada remains committed to “getting to the table” and having a “free and fair trade agreement with our closest friends and allies.”

“Mr. Lutnick can say whatever he wants,” he said. “We know one thing. Canadians love Americans. I love Americans. We love the U.S. and I know Americans love Canadians. I spent 20 years of my life in the U.S. We just have to move forward and make a deal.”