Premier orders B.C. government to cut ties with U.S. companies

B.C. Premier David Eby is kicking his anti-American messaging into high gear.

On Thursday, Eby directed all provincial agencies and Crown corporations to sever ties with U.S. companies “wherever viable.”

This includes cancelling U.S.-based contracts, non-essential travel plans, and subscriptions, and replacing them with Canadian alternatives.

“Minimize your participation in American trade organizations and ensure that you’re upholding the expectations that all British Columbians have,” said Eby.

“When there’s a viable Canadian alternative, you’re choosing that company, choosing that publication, choosing that organization, ” he added.

Eby says this directive — part of the NDP’s Bill 7 that’s nearing passage and designed to give the government new powers to quickly combat unpredictable U.S. tariffs — is in response to what he describes as a deliberate trade war intended to damage Canada’s economy and push it toward becoming “the 51st state.”

“This is a chance for us to build up our provincial economy and our national economy…and the reason why we’ve not ever done this previously is because we had trade obligations to the United States,” he said.

“These are trade obligations that the president walked away from.”

The premier also emphasized the move is not symbolic or optional.

“This is a direction from me to government — through the head of the public service, to the boards of directors, and to the Crown corporations. They must do this work.”

While the directive applies broadly, Eby acknowledged there will be exceptions in cases where no Canadian alternatives exist — like medical supplies.

Still, he stressed that many American goods and services can be replaced with Canadian alternatives at a similar price.

“We’re not going to incur dramatic additional costs in order to achieve this,” he said.

“So we are expecting good judgment from the Crown corporations and from government.”

As for the work already underway, Eby revealed Thursday that the province had explored a potential contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service to provide last-mile internet access to rural areas, but has since abandoned the idea.