Ontario Premier Doug Ford pledged on Monday to block Chinese state-owned enterprises from investing in energy, critical minerals, and major infrastructure if his party wins re-election this month.
Ford announced the policy at a nuclear components factory in Oakville, Ontario, accusing China of market flooding and supply chain manipulation. The ban would apply to government-funded projects across Canada’s most populous province.
The announcement comes amid rising US-China tensions and new US tariffs on metal imports. President Donald Trump announced Sunday he would impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, affecting Ontario, which supplies about a quarter of US steel imports.
“If Canada and the US want to win, if we want to protect our workers and their paychecks, we need to fight together, not each other,” Ford said at the manufacturing facility.
Canada and the U.S. need to stay focused on the threat China poses to both our countries, instead of imposing pointless tariffs that make us both weaker.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 10, 2025
Today, I laid out Ontario’s plan to ban Chinese parts from our energy sector as we build a secure, reliable and affordable… pic.twitter.com/KksLSPWejt
Ford called for stronger Canada-US economic cooperation while announcing the measures against Chinese state enterprises. Current polls show his party leading ahead of the February 27 vote for control of Canada’s largest province.
Tariffs on Canadian-made steel and aluminum will hurt U.S. businesses by raising prices and costing American workers their jobs.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 10, 2025
America loses. Canada loses. China wins. pic.twitter.com/gF04RCL36Z
The ban would specifically target equity purchases and investments from Chinese state-owned enterprises, marking a shift in provincial investment policy. Ford’s Progressive Conservatives seek their third consecutive majority government.
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