The premier of Ontario, Canada's most populous province, said on Friday he would call an early election, citing the need for a strong mandate to fight against tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump said in an Oval Office signing ceremony on Monday that his administration will impose a 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico that may come as soon as February 1 – a move that could raise prices for American consumers.

Trump pledged in his inaugural address that tariffs would be coming in a speech in which he promised a golden era for America. He later said Canada and Mexico could be hit with the tariffs as soon as Feb. 1, though he signed an executive order requesting a report coordinated by the Secretary of Commerce by April. 1.

The leader of Canada’s most populous province says he will be calling an election in Ontario because he says he needs a mandate to fight U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs

The leader of Ontario said he will be calling an election next week because he needs a mandate to fight Trump's threatened tariffs.

Canadian leaders expressed relief that broad tariffs were not applied to Canadian products on the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency.

President Donald Trump has once again stirred the waters of international trade, reiterating his threat to impose tariffs on Canada unless certain conditions are met. In a bold move, Trump suggested that Canada could avoid these tariffs by becoming a state within the United States.

Ottawa's former chief trade negotiator Steve Verheul says Alberta is undermining Canada's attempts to prevent the U.S. from levying damaging tariffs.