Alberta will pull American booze, step up efforts to buy Canadian in response to U.S. tariffs

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the provincial government will avoid purchasing U.S. goods and services and launch an advertising campaign to help shoppers buy Canadian products while U.S tariffs persist.

"This economic attack on our country, combined with Mr. Trump's continued talk of using economic force to facilitate the annexation of our country, has broken trust between our two countries in a profound way," Smith said at a news conference in Medicine Hat, Alta., about 145 kilometres from the U.S. border.

"It is a betrayal of a deep and abiding friendship."

Smith said she has directed cabinet to change government procurement — including school boards, Crown corporations and municipalities — to prioritize purchasing from suppliers in Alberta, Canada and countries that are honouring Canadian trade agreements.

Smith said Alberta's liquor and gaming agency would make no further purchases of American alcohol or video lottery terminals.

The premier has asked government officials to work with grocery stores to help label Canadian products and ask shops to purchase from Canadian vendors where possible.

There will be a "substantial advertising campaign" to help Albertans identify Canadian-made products, she said.

The premier said Alberta's government will also work to further eliminate inter-provincial trade and worker mobility barriers, and develop new markets for Alberta oil and gas products other than the U.S.

Smith also spoke directly to Albertans, noting the road ahead would be bumpy, lined with job losses, inflation and potentially big provincial deficits if tariffs remain in place for a prolonged period.

More to come. The previous version of this story is below.

Premier Danielle Smith will speak today about how Alberta will respond to U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports, brought into effect on Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Smith and a handful of Alberta cabinet ministers will hold a news conference Wednesday at 1 p.m. MT from Medicine Hat.

Mike Ellis, Alberta's minister of public safety, Mickey Amery, Alberta's attorney general, and Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation, are also expected to speak.

CBC News will stream the news conference. You can watch it here.