‘Economic wartime’: Eby backs federal tariff response, possible export bans

Eby made the comments Wednesday after meeting with premiers from across the country, in anticipation of U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump's threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs.

Citing “economic wartime,” B.C. Premier David Eby says his government backs a federal plan to respond to proposed U.S. tariffs, up to and including possible export tariffs and targeted export bans.

Eby made the comments Wednesday after meeting with premiers from across the country, in anticipation of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada.

Eby said premiers understood the “importance of unity,” and were in consensus on the need to prepare for Trump to impose the full 25 per cent tariff.

“We supported the federal government’s proposals around responding with tariffs and continue to support tariff response as well as the possibility of export taxes as well as export bans of particular and strategic commodities from Canada to the United States,” Eby said.

Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed no one region of the country should “disproportionately bear the burden” in response to those potential tariffs, but added that “everything is on the table as potential responses.”

Eby said the premiers were also united on the need to break down interprovincial trade barriers and to work to expand trade partnerships with countries other than the United States.

B.C. also pushed for Ottawa to speed up federal approval of major projects in B.C., including critical mineral extraction.

The province is also fully supportive of Ottawa’s new border security plan.