N.B. premier says power to keep flowing to Maine at this point amid trade war

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says Canada’s trade war with the U.S. has not reached a point where her province would stop supplying electricity to Maine.

Holt said it would be an extremely serious measure to turn off the power to communities who have been friends and neighbours to New Brunswick for generations.

That’s as her Ontario counterpart Doug Ford warned he could cut off his province’s power exports to the U.S. entirely in an interview with The Associated Press.

Holt also said her government would look at whether its joint provincial-federal $13.7-million tariff relief fund needs a top-up in the next provincial budget amid increased U.S. levies.

The Liberal premier made the comments at an unrelated news conference this morning, as the federal government is expected to announce its counter-tariff plan later today.

Holt on Monday said she’s working with Ottawa on retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. and supports hitting the Americans where it hurts.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Canada is planning dollar-for-dollar tariffs in response to the U.S.’s new 50 per cent duties on $28 billion worth of Canadian products.

Those new U.S. levies went ahead over the weekend as talks fell apart between the two countries.