Canada has began responding to the tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump that came into effect Tues.

“Tough day for Ontario and for Canada,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said during a press conference on Tues.

“There’s no question Trump’s tariffs on Canada will hurt us. This is not the outcome anyone wanted,” he said.

Ford announced Ontario’s first round of retaliation during the press conference, stating the LCBO will begin removing American products from its store shelves Tuesday.

“American brands will no longer be available in LBCO catalogues,” Ford said, noting other retailers and bars in the province will no longer be able to restock American alcohol products.

“This is an enormous hit to American producers. Every year the LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of U.S. wine, beer, seltzers, and spirits,” he said.

All U.S. based companies have also been banned from taking part in government procurement, Ford also announced.

Every year Ontario and its agencies spend about $30 billion dollars on procurement, according to Ford.

“U.S. based businesses will now lose out on tens of billions of dollars of revenue. They only have president Trump to blame,” he said, urging all Ontario municipalities to also put retaliatory measures in place.

The provincial government will also be “ripping up” Ontario’s contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink.

“It’s done. It’s gone. We won’t award contracts to people who enable and encourage economic attacks on our province and our country,” Ford said.

Musk is in charge of the U.S. governments Department of Government Efficiency, created by Trump.

If the Trump administration follows through on anymore tariffs, Ford said a 25 per cent surcharge on electricity exported by Ontario will also be applied to the U.S.

“We will not hesitate to shut off their power as well,” Ford added.

“Together we are going to stand up for Canada. Together we are going to protect the true, north, strong and free,” said Ford.

Ford also expressed his support to the federal government and the retaliatory tariffs announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tues. morning.

“Tariff for tariff. Dollar for dollar,” Ford said.

During a press conference, Trudeau spoke about Canada’s retaliatory tariffs that came into effect after the U.S. launched theirs.

He was joined at the press conference by Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Public Safety Minister David McGuinty on Tues.

Canada will be implementing 25 per cent tariffs against $155 billon worth of American goods.

“Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada,” Trudeau said.

The first $30 billion in tariffs came into effect immediately and the remaining tariffs on $125 billion of American goods coming in 21 days time.

The tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. withdrawals theirs “and not a moment sooner,” according to Trudeau.

“Should these tariffs not seize, we are in active and ongoing discussions with provinces and territories to pursue several non-tariff measures,” Trudeau said.

“There are no winners in a trade war,” Trudeau added.

Trudeau also spoke about the legal pretext being used by the U.S. government to impose tariffs.

Speaking directly to the American people, Trudeau said: “The legal pretext your government is using to bring in these tariffs is that Canada is apparently unwilling to help in the fight against illegal fentanyl.”

“That is totally false,” he added, noting the Canadian border is “already safe and secure.”

Less than 1 per cent of fentanyl and less than 1 per cent of illegal crossings into the U.S. come from Canada, Trudeau said.

In response to the U.S. and Trump “concerns,” Canada recently implemented a $1.3 billion border plan.

“A month ago as part of the agreements that paused the tariffs, we made further commitments,” Trudeau said, noting the appointment of Kevin Brosseau as Canada’s fentanyl czar and the designation of seven drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

“We did everything we promised. We stuck to our word,” he said.

“We will not back down from a fight, not when our country and the well-being of everyone in it is at stake.”