Ford says ‘temperature has been lowered’ after meeting with U.S. secretary of commerce

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he had an “extremely productive meeting” with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Thursday.

Ford emerged from the meeting saying, “we feel like the temperature has been lowered” in respect to an ugly, ongoing trade war.

Also present at the meeting were Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman.

Ford did not provide any further details of the meeting except that another one is planned for next week.

The talks come after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to the United States, including those from Canada, on Wednesday.

Ford retaliated by threatening a 25 per cent tariff on the electricity Canada sells to three U.S. states, but later backed down from that after Lutnick agreed to meet.

More to come