Eby meets with Japanese officials during Asia trade mission

B.C. Premier David Eby is in Asia this week as he and other provincial officials work to diversify trade partners.

In Japan, Hardbite chips and other B.C. food products are on the shelves, as Eby took to social media Tuesday to share what he was up to while on his 10-day trade mission.

However, our homegrown chips being on the shelves in other countries may seem like small potatoes when considering overall trade goals, especially in an era with heavy United States tariffs on just about everyone.

On his third day of his trip, Eby described “productive conversations” with Japanese government officials and business leaders.

“They wanted to know about our plans for electrification, the North Coast transmission line, our support for the mining sector, permitting issues, how we’re working with First Nations,” Eby said.

“… Definitely had a strong sense that they share our view about the potential to really deepen and expand our trading relationship with Japan,” he added.

Japan is one of B.C.’s top five trading partners, and it is among the biggest economies in the world.

Eby said he met with Mitsubishi, along with other big Japanese firms, who have interests in B.C.’s copper and nickel. He added that Canada’s LNG program was significant, not just to them, but many other companies and Japan itself.

Eby chalked this up to the Japanese government’s plan to rely less on heavy oil and coal for energy. They’re also turning their eye to nuclear power, and relatively cleaner-burning fuels like LNG, in which B.C. is rich.

The main concern for Japanese firms, he explained, is getting the LNG across the Pacific Ocean, as the cost of facilities and shipping is becoming prohibitive.

“For example, the Panama Canal – they’ve told me the fees have gone up quite dramatically. Issues of drought have made accessing the canal more challenging for them. That makes it more difficult to access LNG from other markets, and why they’re enthusiastic about the ability to just leave B.C. ports and go straight across to Japan,” Eby said.

The trade mission is marching on in the shadow of a contentious bill recently passed in the Legislature that would expand the B.C. government’s power to speed up approvals on infrastructure projects.

Some First Nations see Bill 15 as an infringement on their land rights, with Chief Terry Teegee of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations recently dropping out of the trade mission in the wake of the bill’s passing.

But the Premier says Japanese officials and business leaders are committed to working with the nations.

“For my part, the proof is in how we respond on the ground in British Columbia, and that is the commitment to ensure that major private projects on Crown land in the province, that nations are going to be at the table. They’re going to be full partners in these projects,” Eby stated.

What food ends up in Japan is also part of the conversation, according to Eby, as the challenges of costly food are just as real over there as it is here.