Canada is preparing retaliatory tariffs in response to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 threat to levy a 25 per cent import tax on all Canadian goods, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to withhold the province鈥檚 energy, which it exports to five states.

鈥淲e鈥檒l use every tool in our toolbox, including cutting them off,鈥� Ford said immediately after a meeting of the country鈥檚 premiers with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some members of the federal cabinet.

It was the second such meeting since Trump made the tariff threat, and the first since Trudeau flew to Florida to have dinner with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

In a Nov. 25 social media post, Trump said he would impose tariffs on all goods coming from Canada and Mexico unless both countries stop the flow of migrants and illegal drugs into the U.S.

Ford told reporters in Toronto on Wednesday that the federal government is preparing retaliatory tariffs.

鈥淲e need to be ready to fight, this fight is 100 per cent coming on Jan. 20 or Jan. 21,鈥� he said, referencing the date of Trump鈥檚 inauguration.

In Ottawa, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters 鈥渁 number of premiers spoke out strongly in favour of a robust Canadian response to unjustified tariffs鈥� during the virtual meeting late Wednesday afternoon.

鈥淪ome premiers proactively identified products that their provinces produce and export to the United States and which the U.S. relies on, and which should be considered as part of the Canadian response. This included some critical minerals and metals.鈥�

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the government shared details of its border plan with the premiers, who offered to contribute provincial resources to the effort.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to incorporate many of the positive suggestions that the premiers made into finalizing our border plan,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd then obviously a priority will be to share details of this plan with the incoming Trump administration and with Canadians in the coming days.鈥�

Ford said the premiers are on board with the plan to deal with Trump鈥檚 concerns about the border, but it needs a bit of 鈥減olish.鈥�

The premiers also asked for more 鈥渂oots on the ground鈥� at the border, including increasing the number of officers with the Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP, which Trudeau agreed to do.

Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai said in an interview he 鈥減ersonally was very impressed by what Canada put on the table in a response to border security and the illicit trade of fentanyl.鈥�

Freeland noted Canada responded to U.S. tariffs in 2018, and said 鈥渙ur response worked.鈥�

During Trump鈥檚 first administration, he used his national security powers to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imports.

Canada and other countries brought their own duties, targeting products for political, rather than economic, reasons. One of those was a 10 per cent yogurt duty, where most of the product impacted came from one plant in Wisconsin, the home state of then-Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Ultimately, Canada was able to negotiate an exemption.

The first ministers鈥� meeting came a day after Trump launched more jibes at Trudeau on social media, calling him governor of 鈥渢he great state of Canada鈥� 鈥� a nod to his ribbing that he might just have Canada join the U.S. as its 51st state.

Ahead of the meeting, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said some conservative premiers have been giving off 鈥渧ery mixed messages,鈥� and now is the time to send signals of unity and a show of strength.

鈥淲hat we need to do is acknowledge Trump is a bully. Bullies look for weakness. That鈥檚 why he鈥檚 trolling us,鈥� Singh said, demanding a clear plan of action.

Lawmakers are days away from starting an extended winter holiday break, but when MPs return to Parliament in January, it will be after the presidential inauguration 鈥� making Trump鈥檚 social media taunts and threats all the more serious.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in the face of that the government needs to strike the right tone.

鈥淭his is the first inning. Yeah, sure, there鈥檚 some goofy stuff going on, there鈥檚 some shenanigans, but we have to be serious about this. Canadians expect their government to be serious about the border, about making sure Canadians are safe and secure,鈥� he said on Wednesday morning.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 be arguing against ourselves and at cross purposes, I think that鈥檚 really important,鈥� he added. 鈥淏ecause anything the U.S. does impacts Canada so severely, this isn鈥檛 the time for partisanship.鈥�

Canada has vowed to beef up border security in the face of Trump鈥檚 threats, despite a lack of evidence for his claims about illicit fentanyl pouring into the U.S. from Canada.

Singh accused Trudeau of so far only acquiescing to Trump鈥檚 demands.

But Liberal MP Sean Casey said it鈥檚 not a problem if it appears Canada is bending to Trump鈥檚 pressure.

鈥淲hether it looks like we鈥檙e caving to his demands is completely irrelevant,鈥� he said as he headed into the caucus meeting. 鈥淚f his demands are aligned with the best interest of Canada, the perception of the relationship doesn鈥檛 matter.鈥�

Wednesday鈥檚 high-level meeting also comes days before Ford hosts the fall premiers鈥� meeting in Mississauga, which lasts Sunday through Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.

鈥� With files from Nick Murray and Liam Casey in Toronto

Anja Karadeglija and Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press