Home Business & Economy Tariffs & Trade BC Premier calls Trump tariff threat ‘bizarre’, announces BC task force

BC Premier calls Trump tariff threat ‘bizarre’, announces BC task force

BC task force on trade and economic security co-chaired by CEO's of YVR, Teck, and Greater Vancouver Board of Trade

premier david eby, port of vancouver
BC Premier David Eby in Vancouver, Jan 21, 2025. [livestream]
CANADA-USA NEWS & ANALYSIS

Tuesday January 21, 2025 | VANCOUVER, BC [Posted at 2 pm | Updated January 24, 2025]

by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends


“I don’t understand why the president’s doing this, I think it’s bizarre. It’s not a fight we wanted, it’s not a fight we signed up for,” said BC Premier David Eby today about the pending application of tariffs by the United States against Canada.

Yesterday during a media session in the oval office following his inauguration, US President Donald Trump said the tariffs would be 25% against Canada and Mexico, with a start date of February 1.

donald trump, president
47th President of the United States Donald J Trump delivers his inauguration speech on Jan 20, 2025 in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC. [livestream]

“What President Trump has done is let us know that a partner that we’ve had for many many years, that we trust, rely on like family for us — can no longer be relied on,” said Eby today.

Premier Eby says he wants to make that BC doesn’t “stay in this position of being so dependent on the United States”.

Port of Vancouver backdrop:

Today Eby addressed media outdoors from the balcony outside his Vancouver office at Canada Place, enduring the cold, so that the industrial and commercial backdrop of the Port of Vancouver could be emphasized.

premier david eby, vancouver
BC Premier David Eby in Vancouver, Jan 21, 2025. [livestream]

The port sees $300 million in trade flows through in trade with 170 different countries, supporting more than 100,000 trade-dependent jobs right across the country, he noted.

“It’s an example of the importance of trade to British Columbia and Canada,” the premier said about the port.

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Catastrophic tariffs:

“There is no new normal in terms of our trade relationship with the United States. He said the new US president is “threatening catastrophic tariffs” for both American and Canadians families against Canadian goods.

“The consequences of that for British Columbia would be quite significant, and for many people catastrophic,” said Eby about how 25% tariffs would impact the economy of this province.

“There will be higher prices for goods — things like housing, electricity, and gas at the pump. For our province, the tariffs could potentially mean the loss of tens of billions of dollars, more than a hundred thousand jobs. It is a big deal for British Columbia,” adding that other areas of Canada may be impacted even more significantly.

“We’re putting on our team Canada jerseys right now to stand with Canadians right across this country…. to stand up to these tariff threats,” said Eby. “We’re going to support federal efforts to respond with targeted tariffs to make sure that the Amercians understand that we will not surrender.”

For people in trade-exposed industries the BC government “is working hard for you”, said Eby.

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BC has a three-part plan:

First, BC will support the federal government with a direct response of tariffs in a Republican district to make them understand that trade “increases prosperity in both countries. Stand strong with Canadians across the country.

On January 15 Eby announced BC’s three-part tariff response plan:

david eby
BC Premier David Eby explains BC’s position on dealing with tariffs from the USA, Jan 15, 2025. [X]
  • To support federal government discussions and evaluations of retaliatory tariffs;
  • Ensuring that our province, our economy, is adapting to the new realities for expedited permitting, through necessary response work that we were already initiating in the response to forestry and the impacts on that sector, as well as permitting times to make sure we are adapting – permits, response (forestry);
  • Diversifying our trade partners, making make sure we’re in a position to respond to replace US customers that we may lose for our exports as a result of the tariffs.

Task force:

Today he emphasized the importance of strengthening the country, growing the economy, and working together to make sure that BC grows. That includes industry, labour and Indigenous communities, said Eby today.

A new BC task force on trade and economic security is co-chaired by Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO of YVR; Joanthan Price, President & CEO of Teck Resources; and Bridgitte Anderson from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

tamara vroooman, ceo yvr
Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO, YVR
jonathan price, teck
Jonathan Price, President & CEO, Teck
bridgitte anderson, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
Bridgitte Anderson, President & CE), Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

The task force has been under development for the past few weeks.

The task force is to make sure that BC is “coordinating at a provincial level with companies, labour, Indigenous leadership, so we’re responding as province, united, to strengthen our economy to expand our economic growth even in this time of stress,” said Eby.

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Fighting back:

“Canada is not for sale and we will respond in kind and they will feel it,” said Eby today. He says that at moments like these “you can surrender and give up or you can stand up”.

The threat of tariffs is significant for British Columbians and the economy of BC. That lens is being applied to everything the premier’s office is doing.

“For British Columbia, we’re going to stand up,” the Premier declared. “This is not a fight that we wanted or that we picked,” he said, saying it will hurt Americans as much as Canadians.

“I assure every American and certainly and especially the president, that Canadians will fight and stand up and fight and that includes making decisions about how we spend our money. We will not spend money in a country that wants to do economic harm to Canadians,” said Eby.

“If the tariff threat is realized, this deliberate economic attack on families in our province in our country by the president of the United States” means that British Columbians “should really be careful about spending our money in that country”.

With regard to vacations and family travel to the United States: “It’s a bit heartbreaking to say it because of our relationships back and forth,” said Eby.

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===== RELATED:

BC Premier Eby on Canada’s strategy around US tariffs (January 15, 2025)

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