White House on Tuesday warned of "grave consequences" if Canadian province of Ontario moves to cut electricity to the US.
"There would be grave consequences imposed on Canada if they think about shutting off electricity for the United States of America and our citizens," said Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing.
She said President Donald Trump is determined to ensure that the US is depending on American electricity, not the electricity production of foreign nations, including Canada.
"Canada would be very wise not to shut off electricity for the American people, and we hope that that does not happen," she added.
Calling Canada a neighbor and partner, Leavitt said, "Perhaps they are becoming a competitor now" and added that Trump "believes that Canadians would benefit greatly from becoming the 51st state of the US.
Her remarks came hours after Trump on Tuesday announced a further 25% increase in tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, to 50% in total, and warned of a "National Emergency" over electricity imports.
Trump once again reiterated his idea of merging Canada with the US, arguing that "the only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State," saying that this would eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Monday a 25% electricity surcharge on exports to US states, including Michigan and New York, as part of ongoing trade tensions and threatened to cut off the electricity if those tensions escalate.
"If the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely," said Ford. "Believe me when I say I do not want to do this, I feel terrible for the American people, because it's not the American people who started this trade war. It's one person who's responsible. That's President Trump".
