Canadians woke up this morning to the news that the Trump administration has gone ahead and imposed the 25% tariff it has been threatening for the past few months.
BC Premier David Eby spoke to media in Victoria this morning, promising that BC and the rest of Canada “will respond in kind" to tariffs.
Liquor from red states will be pulled from BC liquor stores, a move the Province had threatened before tariffs were put in effect.
“This is a deliberate decision to target red state liquor products,” Eby explained.
“We understand who is attacking us. We understand where this is coming from, and we want to send a message particularly to those governors, to those congresspeople, when they hear from their constituents about this that they have a chance to stand up to the president and to point out that jobs in their communities are dependent on a good relationship with Canada.”
Additionally, Eby promised that they will be “buying Canadian first” for procurement, which is something we have not been able to do in the past due to trade agreements.
In the past, the government has had to treat US products like our own when purchasing, otherwise it is a trade violation.
“Well, obviously, all bets are off,” said Eby.
Finally, the premier promised that the province will provide support and fill in any blanks not addressed at the federal level.
Eby said the best way to respond to the tariffs is to focus on our own economy and accelerate growth and major projects across BC to support more good jobs. He spoke on the softwood lumber advisory table to address that industry, which will be particularly hard hit, as well as the advisory table for agriculture to try and keep food costs down and ensure food security.
“These are conversations that we never thought we would have. We're having them today,” he added.
While Canadians now have to contend with the tariffs, the people of Ukraine learned this morning that the USA has suspended military assistance. Eby said that the US is “rewarding” Russia’s brutality and aggression, and handing over the country to a dictator.
“This is a massive shift in global politics, and it is deeply disturbing to everyone who values freedom, democracy, sovereignty, and the global order that has ensured prosperity for so many people around the globe, for generations.”
Eby continued, saying that the USA, which was once our greatest friend, ally and trading partner, who we have entwined our economy with, has betrayed us.
The premier said that Canada worked to address the issues brought up by Trump in an attempt to meet his demands in good faith, including fentanyl at the border.
“I would say that without doubt, the president's demands were met. And yet, it did not matter. It didn't work,” he said. “Because obviously, that's not what this is about. It's about something else. As the president has repeated many times, he wants to make Canada the 51st state.”
“Canada will never be the 51st state. We didn't ask for this fight that the president has brought to Canada and to British Columbia, but I'll tell you this, we're not gonna shrink from it.”
Everything from pasta to turning on the lights in their homes is going to be more expensive for Americans because of the tariffs, said Eby.
“The president wants to hurt Canadians. If he wants to hurt British Columbians, then we have no choice but to respond in kind to the United States.”
“For Americans who work in manufacturing, the factories that you work in, the inputs that you use to make the things that are sold around the world have just become significantly less competitive. Your jobs will be taken by people living in countries other than the United States who have access to the raw materials that Canada provides without tariffs.”
British Columbians have an “important role” to play as well, by continuing to make buying Canadian a priority, including when you’re vacationing.
According to Eby, Canadian businesses like Windset Farms, a greenhouse operator, have reported a spike in business as people choose local in the face of tariffs.
He added that the “silver lining” in this situation is that it has brought out a " sense of pride, a sense of courage and a sense of solidarity” that we haven’t seen in a long time.
“Together, we'll ensure that Canada remains the true North strong and free,” Eby said.
BC’s finance minister is set to present a budget today that will take into account the current situation.
