B.C. Premier says ‘unjustified’ U.S. tariffs would be ‘devastating’

B.C. Premier David Eby is warning that a potential 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods by the U.S. would be “devastating” for the province’s forestry and lumber industries. 

Speaking ahead of a Wednesday meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other provincial leaders, Eby called the tariffs “unjustified” and emphasized that the move would harm both Canadians and Americans in terms of job loss and higher prices for U.S. consumers.

Eby’s remarks come in response to U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump’s recent social media post threatening such tariffs unless Canada and Mexico take action to curb illegal border crossings and prevent the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S.

“It’s a priority for us. It has been for a while; we’ve written to Ottawa about it. It doesn’t justify the tariffs, but it does mean that we can talk about those issues as well,” Eby said while adding clarifying that B.C. officials have been repeatedly raising concerns over border security, in relation to organized crime and illicit drugs, such as fentanyl.

While Eby’s concerns echo broader fears about the tariff’s potential impact, the importance of taking the threat seriously is significant.

Torsten Jaccard is an assistant economist professor at the Vancouver School of Economics at UBC.

He says Canada’s reliance on U.S. trade — exports to the U.S. being the source of 20 per cent of Canada’s income —makes it highly vulnerable.

“Is Trump just using this as a ploy for other negotiations? I’m not sure. But ultimately, we have to listen and take it seriously. If those tariffs were to come into place, I think it’s fair to say the results would be quite devastating for the Canadian economy,” Jaccard said.

In response to the looming threat, Jaccard suggested Canada seek solidarity with other trading partners, including Mexico and possibly China, to form a coordinated response. 

“Let the U.S. know that if they come after one country or they threaten one of us, we will respond as a block. That’s basically all we can do, given just the sheer magnitude of the United States and their economy.”

“In my mind, the United States is a different animal as an economy, and so we need to, we need to be quite careful in how we respond, and we need to be very pragmatic in terms of what is feasible.”