TORONTO >> The leader of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, said Friday that he would call an early election, because he says he needs a mandate to fight U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs.

Premier Doug Ford of the Progressive Conservative Party said that he planned to make the announcement Wednesday. The move would send Ontarians to the polls Feb. 27, more than a year before the June 2026 fixed election date. Ford already has a large majority government.

“We need a mandate from the people to fight against Donald Trump’s tariffs,” Ford said.

Ford, the equivalent of a U.S. state governor, said that Ontario could lose upwards of 500,000 jobs should Trump follow through on his 25% tariff threat.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that he still plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico at that rate starting as soon as Feb. 1. Trump previously threatened to establish sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he took office. But the tariffs weren’t applied Monday, the day he took office.

Ford has said there would be a dollar-for-dollar tariff retaliation on American goods entering Canada. He has also said that if Trump applies tariffs, he would instruct Ontario’s liquor control board to pull all American-made alcohol from shelves.

Ford said that his government would spend billions to support the economy if tariffs come. Ontario is Canada’s manufacturing and automobile hub.

“We will do tens of billions of dollars. It’s no different than the pandemic. We will secure livelihoods,” Ford said. “I will do whatever it takes to protect the people of Ontario.”

He also said that “we need the largest mandate in Ontario’s history.”

Trump said again Friday that Canada can avoid tariffs if it becomes the 51st state.