B.C. Premier David Eby said Tuesday he plans to visit Washington, D.C., to lobby against tariffs on Canadian products as proposed by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
Eby said his response has three “keys” to it: first, he will spark discussion on retaliatory tariffs; second, he will ensure the provincial economy is responding with necessary and expedited permitting of projects; and third, he will be seeking to diversify trade partners, ensuring “we can replace U.S. customers.”
Eby said he continues to work with labour unions and businesses “for a unified B.C. response and as part of a unified Canadian response.”
Eby said the U.S. consumer would suffer from higher costs of B.C.-imported goods, such as lumber and electricity. Eby also used Teck Resources production in Trail, B.C., as an example of how the U.S. would be harmed by making important natural resources too expensive through tariffs.
Eby did not say when he would be visiting Washington but would be doing so with the Council of the Federation, comprising of leaders of all 13 provinces and territories.
Eby also did not offer up any solutions to the concerns raised by Trump, which form the basis of his tariff threat, namely that border security must be strengthened, including Canada’s response to stifling the fentanyl trade, including production. Many experts have speculated the U.S. wants Canada to take greater measures in prosecuting money laundering as part of the broader border concerns.
When asked what his plan is concerning the border, Eby said the matter is for the federal government although he acknowledged the province has a role to play with managing the BC RCMP.
“Our challenge is not a shortage of funding …it’s getting the officers to do the work especially in rural and remote communities,” said Eby, adding the council has been leading the charge and not the federal government.
While Eby led a political push to launch an inquiry into money laundering in B.C., that inquiry concluded money laundering is rampant in B.C.
“Without being able to say how large the money laundering problem is in this province, I have no hesitation concluding that it is large indeed, and it merits strong and immediate action,” concluded Commissioner Austin Cullen in his June 2022 report.
Eby’s government has enacted Canada’s first provincial beneficial property ownership registry and the first unexplained wealth order laws but has declined to install an independent money laundering commissioner to oversee ministry efforts, as Cullen recommended.
Meanwhile, the BC RCMP have stated it is seeing an uptick in B.C.-based fentanyl production by organized transnational crime groups.
Eby has also sought federal support for re-establishing a port police unit, as presently only one per cent of container ships are searched by the Canada Border Services Agency.
Glacier Media was not chosen to ask the premier any questions at his media conference, including what his plan is to address Trump’s concerns in order to mitigate the tariff threat.
As well, Eby did not disclose what his trade diversification plan would look like, including whether it would mean establishing closer ties with the People’s Republic of China.
Eby was re-elected by a very slim majority last October. Both money laundering and international trade were not raised by either the BC Conservative Party, BC Green Party nor Eby's BC NDP.
