Canada weighs cutting off energy and minerals as the trade war with the US escalates

Aug 26, 2026

Canada is debating whether to hit back at Trump's trade war by cutting off electricity, critical minerals, or oil — a fight that would hurt both economies, with autos and energy most exposed.

  • Ontario's Doug Ford says Canada should be ready to cut off electricity and critical minerals, calling Trump's tariffs an economic war on a close ally.
  • The auto industry is warning it faces an existential crisis if the two sides don't settle within months, since a single pickup truck is built from parts crossing the border several times.
  • Alberta pushes back hard: taxing or halting oil exports would trigger US retaliation on the gas and diesel Ontario and Quebec buy, cost hundreds of thousands of jobs, and hand US refiners a reason to switch to Venezuelan crude for good.
  • Canada has no strategic oil reserve to cushion a cutoff, while the US does — leaving the Toronto stock exchange and Canadian retirement savings vulnerable.
  • On the US side, the AI boom keeps rolling on debt — Nvidia sees sales growing into 2028 and Amazon is buying two million chips — even as worries grow that circular deals are inflating reported revenue.

Outlook: Expect cautious lobbying rather than an immediate Canadian cutoff, with both sides likely stalling until the US midterms reshape the politics.

← Latest · Archive