{"id":11881,"date":"2025-01-15T23:53:38","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T23:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/01\/15\/economic-wartime-eby-backs-federal-tariff-response-possible-export-bans\/"},"modified":"2025-01-15T23:53:38","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T23:53:38","slug":"economic-wartime-eby-backs-federal-tariff-response-possible-export-bans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/01\/15\/economic-wartime-eby-backs-federal-tariff-response-possible-export-bans\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Economic wartime\u2019: Eby backs federal tariff response, possible export bans"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Citing \u201ceconomic wartime,\u201d B.C. Premier David Eby<\/a> says his government backs a federal plan to respond to proposed U.S. tariffs<\/a>, up to and including possible export tariffs and targeted export bans.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Eby made the comments Wednesday after meeting with premiers from across the country, in anticipation of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada.<\/p>\n

Eby said premiers understood the \u201cimportance of unity,\u201d and were in consensus on the need to prepare for Trump to impose the full 25 per cent tariff.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe supported the federal government\u2019s proposals around responding with tariffs and continue to support tariff response as well as the possibility of export taxes as well as export bans of particular and strategic commodities from Canada to the United States,\u201d Eby said.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Click
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed no one region of the country should \u201cdisproportionately bear the burden\u201d in response to those potential tariffs, but added that \u201ceverything is on the table as potential responses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Eby said the premiers were also united on the need to break down interprovincial trade barriers and to work to expand trade partnerships with countries other than the United States.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Get\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

Get daily National news<\/h3>\n

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

B.C. also pushed for Ottawa to speed up federal approval of major projects in B.C., including critical mineral extraction.<\/p>\n

The province is also fully supportive of Ottawa\u2019s new border security plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn particular around B.C.\u2019s concerns related to money laundering, fentanyl, importing drug precursors as well as Ontario and Quebec\u2019s concerns about migration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Click
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

While premiers sought to present a united front on Wednesday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith conspicuously declined to sign on to the federal plan.<\/p>\n

Smith, who opposed blocking oil and gas exports to the U.S., posted to social media to explain her position.<\/p>\n

\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cFederal government officials continue to publicly and privately float the idea of cutting off energy supply to the U.S. and imposing export tariffs on Alberta energy and other products to the United States,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil these threats cease, Alberta will not be able to fully support the federal government\u2019s plan in dealing with the threatened tariffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eby downplayed potential division within the \u201cTeam Canada\u201d tariff response, saying not everyone on board would agree on every tactic.<\/p>\n

\u201cPremier Smith needs to do what she feels she needs to do with respect to her home audience,\u201d Eby said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just know that as a Canadian and a British Columbian I am going to stand strong with premiers to make sure we are not limiting tools available to the federal government to respond to this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Click
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The potential impact Trump\u2019s tariffs would have on B.C. remains unclear, though experts say the forestry sector \u2014 a veteran of U.S. trade disputes \u2014 will likely be among the hardest hit.<\/p>\n

\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cAt some point, these tariffs are going to come back to the mills. The low-cost regions are going to keep producing. B.C. is the highest-cost producing region in North America,\u201d said Russ Taylor, president of industry consultancy Russ Taylor Global.<\/p>\n

So if there are curtailments in the works because of low prices and high costs \u2026 B.C. mills will curtail first and the most \u2026 the loggers then curtail as well. It\u2019s a house of cards after a while until you find the bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Canadian leaders and industry are holding out hope that the U.S. could back down, or at least moderate its position on tariffs, though those hopes are beginning to fade as Trump\u2019s inauguration approaches.<\/p>\n

Trump will take office on Jan. 20, at which point the trade picture should become more clear.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t