On Monday, Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, one in every of Canada’s most populous provinces, announced on X that the province’s authorities can be “ripping up” its $68 million ($100 million CAD) contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite tv for pc web service. The information got here quickly after President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on almost all Canadian imported items, inflicting Canada to impose a 25% tariff on U.S. items in response.
However Ford reportedly determined to place a pin in that plan in a while Monday after President Trump selected to delay imposing tariffs on all Canadian imports for 30 days. The keep got here after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada introduced a number of concessions, together with plans to station 10,000 “frontline personnel” on the 5,500-mile-long Canada-U.S. border.
Musk has turn out to be a detailed confidant of President Trump, and now oversees the so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, a staff throughout the Trump administration tasked with conducting massive cost-cutting to government spending and widescale deregulation. On the similar time, Musk’s Starlink has been looking to strike deals with native and nationwide governments to offer satellite tv for pc web. The Ontario authorities’s Starlink contract was signed in November 2024 and is meant to offer quick web to distant elements of the province.
Earlier on Monday — earlier than Canada was capable of delay the imposition of these U.S. tariffs — Ford additionally stated in a press convention that different U.S. corporations will also be banned from future provincial contracts in Ontario till the U.S. authorities removes the tariffs. Ford stated Musk was “a part of the Trump staff that desires to destroy households, incomes, destroy companies.”
“[Musk] desires to take meals off the desk of individuals, hard-working folks, and I’m not going to tolerate it,” stated Ford.
“U.S.-based companies will now lose out on tens of billions of {dollars} in new revenues. They solely have President Trump accountable.”
Starlink didn’t instantly reply to our request for remark.
Correction: This story initially said the ripped-up Starlink contract was price $100 million as a substitute of $100 million CAD. This piece was additionally up to date to mirror the occasions of Monday, together with the late-day deal that efficiently delayed Trump’s introduced tariffs.
About The Author
