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Premiers Split on Using Potash as a Trade Weapon — What It Means for Your Grocery Bill

  Published August 31, 2026 Canada's premiers can't agree on how far to take the trade war with the United States — and this week, the fight is over a grey mineral mined almost 2,000 kilometres from Ottawa: potash. The disagreement matters well beyond provincial politics. Potash is the "P" and "K" of fertilizer economics — a key ingredient in the blends that grow the wheat, canola, and corn that eventually show up as bread, canola oil, and everything fed to livestock. Canada supplies about 85% of the potash the U.S. uses, which is exactly why some premiers see it as leverage — and why others are warning that pulling that lever could backfire on the very provinces pushing for it. Ford wants to pull the lever. Moe and Smith are warning not to. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is pushing for the toughest response available, including resource-based leverage. Saskatchewan's Scott Moe and Alberta's Danielle Smith are pumping the brakes, warning that squeezing po...

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Ontario's Bold Economic Stand: Starlink Contract Axed Amid U.S. Tariffs

 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced a sweeping economic response to U.S. tariffs by canceling a nearly C$100‑million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink. The agreement, signed last November to provide high-speed satellite internet to 15,000 remote homes and businesses across the province, is now being scrapped as part of Ford’s broader initiative to shield Ontario’s economy from what he calls “destructive” American trade practices.

In a fiery statement on social media, Ford declared that Ontario will ban U.S. companies from provincial contracts until the tariffs—imposed by President Donald Trump—are removed. “We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy,” he asserted, emphasizing that the province’s annual procurement spending of over $30 billion is at stake.

This decisive move is not only a repudiation of the ongoing trade conflict but also a signal to American businesses that Ontario is ready to defend its local industry. While Ford remains confident in the province’s legal position should any challenges arise over the cancellation, critics and proponents alike are watching closely as this trade dispute continues to reshape economic policies on both sides of the border.

As the situation unfolds, Ontario’s actions underscore a broader trend of regional resistance to policies perceived as harmful to local economies—a trend that may have lasting implications for future trade negotiations.

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