**Prime Minister Mark Carney, pictured with his provincial and territorial counterparts in September 2025. /** **TWITTER PHOTO**

The Team Canada strategy for dealing with the U.S. faces its most serious divisions in months when Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with his provincial counterparts in Ottawa next Thursday.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has previously led the unity charge and backed Carney on trade issues, is vocally annoyed by the prime minister’s attempt to smooth over tensions with China.

Ottawa’s EVs-for-canola deal with Beijing has provided a breakthrough for western farmers at the expense, Ford said, of Ontario’s automakers.

On Wednesday, Ford took his complaints up a notch, urging Canadians to boycott Chinese-made electric vehicles when they are allowed back into the country under the deal struck by Carney in Beijing.

"Boycott the Chinese EV vehicles," he said. "Support companies that are building vehicles here. It's as simple as that."

Consumers should do business with car companies that have a manufacturing presence in Canada, Ford said, and he does not believe Chinese automakers will ever start making vehicles here.

Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed while the prime minister was in China that Canada will all but drop its 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese EVs and allow an annual import quota of up to 49,000 of the vehicles in exchange for China reducing its canola tariffs.

Another divisive issue has surfaced over Ford's upcoming ban on Crown Royal whisky made near Windsor. Responding to whisky maker Diageo’s decision to shut down that bottling plant to move some production closer to U.S. consumers, Ford said Crown Royal will be removed from provincial liquor stores.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has appealed to Ford to change course so as to preserve the company's bottling plant in Gimli, Man. And, more recently, Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard shared similar concerns with the Ontario government, saying that, given trade tensions with the U.S., it is a bad time to imperil Canadian supply chains.

Premiers will also be hoping for more details on the state of trade negotiations with the U.S, with the review of CUSMA beginning this year.