How Not to Negotiate: Doug Ford Gives a Masterclass in Folding Like a Cheap Suit

Introduction – A Threat with No Teeth

Doug Ford had a moment. A real moment. A chance to show that Canada isn’t just a complacent, subservient exporter of cheap resources and energy to the United States. A chance to demonstrate that when Washington plays economic hardball, we don’t just take it—we hit back.

For about an hour, it looked like Ontario had actually done something bold. A 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S. was a rare instance of a Canadian leader using economic leverage in a way that made Americans feel it. After years of one-sided trade disputes—steel and aluminum tariffs, softwood lumber tariffs, Buy American rules—we finally made a move of our own. And then?

Ford immediately backed down. He didn’t extract a concession from the U.S. He didn’t demand an end to unfair trade practices in exchange. He didn’t even let Americans feel the pain of their own policies before surrendering.

Instead, he agreed to suspend the surcharge in exchange for a meeting. A meeting.

This is not how serious countries negotiate. This is how vassal states behave—with leaders so eager to stay on Washington’s good side that they crumble at the first sign of resistance. And this is not just a Ford problem. It is a deeply Canadian problem, a decades-long failure to recognize that we have real economic power but refuse to use it.

Ford’s capitulation is a case study in how not to negotiate. If we don’t change our approach—if we don’t start treating our strategic assets as bargaining chips—Canada will remain exactly what the Americans want us to be: a passive, dependent, resource-rich junior partner who never fights back.

The Strategy Ford Should Have Used

Doug Ford’s 25% surcharge on electricity exports was, for a hot second, the right move. It was a rare instance of Canada using economic leverage, something we almost never do despite having an abundance of natural resources, energy exports, and critical commodities that the United States cannot easily replace.

But instead of treating it as a bargaining chip, Ford gave it away for nothing. He didn’t even wait to see if it had an effect. He flinched the second Trump threw a tantrum.

This is not how real negotiations work. If you make a move, you hold your ground until the other side offers something real in return. Ford should have:

Announced the surcharge and let it stand for at least a month. Trade pressure takes time to sink in. Ontario is a major electricity supplier for parts of the U.S., including Michigan and New York. Let them feel the pain.
Tied the removal of the surcharge to an actual U.S. concession. If Washington wanted the surcharge gone, they should have had to lift their own tariffs—on steel, aluminum, softwood lumber, or any of the other Canadian industries they routinely target.
Used the electricity dispute as a test case for a broader strategy. Canada should be systematically linking our economic strengths—potash, energy, aerospace—to trade demands. If the U.S. plays dirty, we hit them where it hurts.

Instead, Ford gave up the only leverage he had in exchange for a meeting. What does that tell Washington? That Canada talks tough for about five minutes, but folds the second America applies pressure.

This is negotiation malpractice. If a private-sector CEO did this, shareholders would be demanding their resignation. If a union leader caved this easily, the rank-and-file would riot. But in Canadian politics, it’s just another Tuesday.

What Ford did here isn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of a larger pattern of Canadian leaders misunderstanding the fundamentals of power. When the U.S. imposes unfair tariffs on our industries, we should be responding with proportional countermeasures that last until we get real concessions. Instead, we treat retaliation as a symbolic gesture—something to be announced for domestic political gain, then abandoned before it ever achieves anything.

Ford could have walked into negotiations with Washington from a position of strength. Instead, he walked in as the guy who already folded, which means he has no negotiating power left.

If you wield economic leverage, you need to be prepared to stand by it. Otherwise, you just prove to the other side that your threats mean nothing. That’s exactly what Ford did—and it’s exactly why Canada keeps getting pushed around.

America Takes, Canada Gives: The Pattern of Capitulation

Doug Ford’s retreat on the electricity surcharge isn’t just a personal failure—it’s a national tradition. Canada has spent decades getting bullied in trade negotiations, making big threats only to immediately back down when the U.S. applies pressure. Ford’s blunder is just the latest example of a long, embarrassing pattern where our leaders fail to recognize that Canada actually has leverage—and then wonder why we keep getting steamrolled.

1. Softwood Lumber – The Perennial Surrender

For nearly 40 years, the U.S. has been hitting Canada with softwood lumber tariffs, despite multiple international rulings siding with Canada. Every few years, Washington slaps new duties on Canadian lumber, claiming unfair subsidies. Ottawa takes them to court, wins, and then… nothing changes. The tariffs continue. Canadian lumber producers lose billions.

Every time we fight back, we eventually settle for a temporary “agreement” that barely benefits us. Then, a few years later, the cycle repeats. It’s as if Ottawa hasn’t figured out that diplomacy without leverage is just whining.

If we were serious, we’d be tying softwood lumber exports to other trade measures—for example, restricting access to Canadian raw materials unless the U.S. agreed to fair lumber rules. But we don’t. We just keep playing the victim.

2. Steel and Aluminum – The 2018 Tariff Debacle

When Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in 2018, it was a direct attack on a core Canadian industry. For a brief moment, Canada fought back properly: we imposed counter-tariffs on American goods. But the moment Trump lifted the tariffs, we acted like the problem was solved.

It wasn’t. The U.S. never guaranteed that they wouldn’t do it again. And what happened? The second Ford imposed his electricity surcharge, Trump immediately threatened to double the steel and aluminum tariffs. And instead of holding firm and negotiating a deal, Ford panicked and backed down.

A real strategy would have made it clear that the steel tariffs were our bargaining chip—that if the U.S. wanted to keep our electricity cheap and reliable, they needed to stop screwing over our steel industry. Instead, Ford gave up the game instantly.

3. The F-35 – A Masterclass in Letting America Rip Us Off

The F-35 fighter jet deal is perhaps the worst example of Canada making a terrible economic decision just to appease the United States.

Canada does not need the F-35. It’s designed for U.S. power projection, not defending Canadian airspace.
It’s absurdly expensive—we’re spending $19 billion on 88 jets, when the Swedish Gripen E was cheaper, more suited to our needs, and came with better sovereignty guarantees.
By choosing the F-35, we are fully dependent on the U.S. for maintenance, upgrades, and operational control.

This wasn’t a military decision. It was a political surrender. Washington wanted us to buy American, so Ottawa complied—even though there were better options.

4. The Ford Electricity Debacle as the Latest Example

And now, we have Doug Ford doing the exact same thing with Ontario’s electricity surcharge.

He imposed a legitimate economic pressure point on the U.S.
The Americans immediately threatened retaliation.
Ford backed down within hours—not in exchange for anything, but for a meeting.

This sends a devastating message: Canada’s threats are meaningless because we always cave at the first sign of pressure.

Ford didn’t even wait to see if the surcharge had an impact. He preemptively surrendered just because Trump threw a fit. That’s not negotiation. That’s bending the knee.

5. The Real Lesson: We Never Play Hardball

The reason Canada keeps losing these fights isn’t because we’re a small country. It’s because our leaders don’t have the stomach for real power politics.

The U.S. hits us with tariffs, and we just accept it.
The U.S. forces us into bad military contracts, and we obediently comply.
The U.S. dictates the terms of our economic relationship, and we let them.

Ford had one job: if you’re going to impose an economic measure, at least see it through long enough to get something in return. Instead, he reinforced America’s belief that Canada can always be pressured into submission.

If this was a one-time event, it would be bad. But in the context of Canada’s long history of capitulation, it’s downright humiliating. And until we start acting like a serious country, this cycle will continue.

Canada Has Leverage—We Just Refuse to Use It

Doug Ford’s retreat on the electricity surcharge is infuriating not just because it was weak, but because it was unnecessary. Canada has real leverage over the U.S., yet we never use it properly. This isn’t just about electricity—Canada controls critical resources that America cannot easily replace. If we actually played hardball, we could force Washington to respect our economic interests instead of treating us like a subordinate.

1. Potash – The Sleeping Giant

If Canada ever wanted to prove a point in trade negotiations, potash is the weapon we should be wielding.

Canada controls about one-third of the world’s potash supply, an essential fertilizer ingredient used to grow food worldwide.
The U.S. is heavily dependent on Canadian potash imports, as are other major economies like China and Brazil.
If Canada restricted potash exports, it would immediately disrupt global agricultural supply chains.

Imagine the leverage this gives us. We could tie potash exports to trade concessions, making it clear that if the U.S. keeps screwing Canada over with tariffs and protectionist policies, they can find their fertilizer somewhere else.

But do we do this? Of course not. Instead, we let the Americans treat us like just another supplier, instead of recognizing that we have the kind of market control that OPEC has with oil.

A real government would be weaponizing our potash exports in trade negotiations—you want our fertilizer? Then stop slapping tariffs on our industries. But Canada doesn’t think that way, because our political class doesn’t understand leverage.

2. Energy – The Ontario Electricity Lesson

Doug Ford stumbled onto a good idea by slapping a 25% surcharge on electricity exports—he just didn’t have the guts to follow through.

Ontario exports a massive amount of electricity to the U.S., particularly to Michigan and New York. Instead of selling it cheaply, we should be using it as a tool to secure better trade terms.

If the U.S. can threaten our industries with tariffs, why aren’t we threatening their energy supply in response? If they want our electricity at competitive rates, then they need to stop imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.

Ford’s mistake wasn’t imposing the surcharge—it was removing it too quickly. He should have let American consumers feel the impact, waited for the U.S. government to come to the table, and only lifted the surcharge in exchange for real concessions. Instead, he showed that Canadian politicians don’t have the stomach for real economic fights.

3. Defense – The F-35 Contract Should Have Been Torn Up

If there’s one place where Canada’s lack of independent decision-making is most obvious, it’s in our defense contracts. The F-35 deal is a textbook case of Canada getting strong-armed into a bad agreement because we’re too afraid to say no to Washington.

Canada didn’t need the F-35. Our defense needs are focused on Arctic patrol and national security, not global power projection.
The Gripen E was a better choice—cheaper, more independent, and wouldn’t make us reliant on U.S. maintenance and operational restrictions.
But instead of choosing the best fighter for Canada, we chose the one Washington wanted us to buy.

Why? Because Canada’s political class treats military procurement as a diplomatic exercise, not a strategic one. If we actually prioritized Canadian defense interests, we would have walked away from the F-35 program years ago. Instead, we let the U.S. dictate our choices.

This is the same problem we see with trade—we act like subordinates instead of equals. And that’s exactly why Ford folded immediately on the electricity issue: it’s ingrained in Canadian politics to appease Washington instead of challenging it.

4. Why We Never Play Hardball

It’s not that Canada doesn’t have leverage—it’s that our leaders refuse to use it.

The U.S. depends on Canadian resources, energy, and defense cooperation.
We could tie trade deals to our strategic assets—you want our potash, electricity, and military support? Then stop treating us like a junior partner.
Instead, we let American pressure dictate our actions, and we back down every single time.

Doug Ford had an opportunity to break that cycle—to show that Canada can actually stand firm in a trade dispute. Instead, he reinforced the perception that Canada always caves.

And as long as our leaders continue fearing confrontation, we will remain exactly what the U.S. wants us to be: a compliant, unthreatening resource supplier that never fights back.

Canada’s Reckoning: It’s Time to Break the Pattern

Doug Ford’s pathetic retreat on the electricity surcharge is just the latest proof that Canada is at a breaking point. We are being forced into a reckoning—one where we either start acting like an independent country or resign ourselves to being a glorified resource colony for the United States.

For decades, Canadian leaders have refused to play hardball, assuming that our “friendly” relationship with the U.S. means we’ll always get fair treatment. That assumption has been proven false, over and over again. The Americans don’t care about fairness. They care about securing economic and strategic dominance.

And right now, they are actively restructuring their economy at our expense.

The U.S. is onshoring its industrial base, cutting out Canadian suppliers wherever possible.
Their “Buy American” policies make it harder for Canadian industries to compete.
They use tariffs and trade barriers as weapons to squeeze our economy, while we just sit there and take it.

Canada has massive economic advantages—we control potash, energy, minerals, food production, aerospace capabilities—but we refuse to use them as bargaining chips. Instead, we just export everything cheaply and hope the Americans are nice to us in return.

That’s not how powerful countries operate.

If we want to stop getting pushed around, we need to fundamentally change our approach to economic policy and trade negotiations.

Step One: Treat Our Resources as Strategic Assets, Not Just Exports

Canada has leverage—it’s just that we never use it.

If the U.S. wants cheap electricity, they should have to guarantee fair trade for Canadian industries.
If the U.S. wants secure potash supply, they need to stop hitting our exports with protectionist tariffs.
If the U.S. wants Canadian defense cooperation, we should be negotiating our own terms instead of signing blank checks for American military projects.

We have the power to dictate terms—we just don’t. That needs to change.

Step Two: Stop Signing Deals That Benefit Washington at Our Expense

The F-35 contract should have been the last straw. We signed up for an overpriced, underperforming jet that doesn’t fit our defense needs because Washington told us to.

Instead of buying what works for us, we keep making decisions based on U.S. interests.
Instead of leveraging our own defense procurement, we lock ourselves into expensive American systems that make us dependent on their supply chains.

This applies to trade, energy, and manufacturing too. Every time we sign a one-sided agreement with the U.S., we are sacrificing Canadian interests for American gain.

Step Three: Elect Leaders Who Will Actually Hold the Line

Doug Ford had one chance to show that Canada was willing to play hardball. He folded immediately. That should be a lesson to every Canadian voter: if we keep electing spineless leaders, we will keep getting treated like a subservient nation.

This isn’t just about one bad trade decision. It’s about whether Canada is willing to stand up for itself or not.

Because if we don’t change course now, we may never get another chance.

Conclusion – How Not to Negotiate

Doug Ford’s decision to back down on the electricity surcharge without securing a single concession isn’t just embarrassing—it’s a case study in how not to negotiate.

Imagine if a labor union threatened to strike for better wages, but the moment the company pushed back, they called off the strike in exchange for a meeting. That’s exactly what Ford just did. He had a rare moment of economic leverage, but instead of using it to extract something tangible, he folded at the first sign of resistance.

What does this tell Washington? That Canada is weak. That when push comes to shove, we will always back down. That our threats are empty gestures, not real positions of power.

And that’s not just a problem for Ontario—it’s a problem for the entire country.

For decades, Canada has allowed the U.S. to dictate the terms of our economic relationship. We’ve watched as:

Our industries get hit with tariffs while we hesitate to retaliate.
We sign one-sided defense contracts that lock us into American control.
Our leaders make big statements about standing up for Canada, only to immediately cave when America threatens them.

The Ford debacle is just another example of a long, shameful pattern of Canadian leadership fearing confrontation instead of embracing leverage.

If Canada wants to be taken seriously, we have to start acting like a serious country. That means:

Treating our exports as strategic assets, not just commodities for sale.
Responding to U.S. trade aggression with real, sustained countermeasures.
Electing leaders who won’t panic and surrender the moment America gets upset.

If Ford had any backbone, he would have held firm on the electricity surcharge until the U.S. came to the table with an actual offer—not just a meeting, but a concession. Instead, he reinforced the image of Canada as a country that talks big but folds fast.

This is bigger than one premier, one trade dispute, or one policy mistake. This is about whether Canada will ever start standing up for itself.

Because if we don’t start playing hardball now, the U.S. will keep walking all over us – interfering with our elections and embedding a Maple MAGA fifth column into Canadian domestic politics. And the next time we try to use economic leverage, they won’t even pretend to take us seriously.

How Not to Negotiate: Doug Ford Gives a Masterclass in Folding Like a Cheap Suit