Canadian Premier cancels $100,000,000 contract with Elon Musk in retaliation for Trump tariffs
A Canadian Premier has just cancelled an eye-watering $100 million contract with Elon Musk in retaliation for the US President’s tariffs.
Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, Canada, has announced the province has shredded its contract with Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink in retaliation amid the North American trade battle, reports CBC.
Ford also stated he would ban all US-based companies from taking part in any further provincial procurement after slamming Trump for having ‘chosen chaos’ over shared prosperity.
The Premier said Ontario is hitting the US back (GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty Images)
The move comes as the 60-year-old MPP threatened to shut off power to 1.5 million US customers when American President Donald Trump announced new ‘catastrophic’ tariffs on the country.
There was a 30-day pause on the plans, but Trump signed off on the plan to roll out 25 percent tariffs on Canadian exports and 10 percent tariffs on Canadian energy this week.
The 47th POTUS said not long after returning to the White House in January that China, Mexico and Canada ought to be held ‘accountable for their promises to halt the flood of poisonous drugs into the US.’
Aggravating tensions, Trump said the only ‘solution’ for Canada to dodge the tariff would be to become a ‘cherished’ 51st state.
Canada has threatened further measures against the US if the trade war ‘persists’ (NBC)
Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX, founded by tech billionaire mogul Musk, who also heads the US president’s cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force.
The company only signed a contract with the province in November last year to provide high-speed internet to 15,000 homes and businesses in rural and remote areas by summer this year.
But when asked about the contract at a press conference on Tuesday (March 4), Ford said: “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,” he added.
The decision comes after Ontario’s primary liquor wholesaler and retailer confirmed it would also no longer buy or sell US alcohol.