British Columbia Premier David Eby is ruling out further retaliatory measures against the United States after it imposed an additional tariff on softwood lumber, but said his government will maintain countermeasures already in place.
“We believe that acting on our own will not be the best way forward,” Eby said in an interview on rosemary barton live which aired on Sunday morning. “But we maintain the restrictions we implemented.”
Those restrictions include removing all American alcohol from liquor stores run in British Columbia and withdrawing American companies from public contracting.
“And we’re going to continue like this until this issue is resolved with the Americans at the table,” Eby told host Rosemary Barton.
On Tuesday, the United States imposed a 10 percent tariff on Canadian lumber, on top of the 35 percent tariff already in place, a move that led Eby to ask the federal government for help to protect forestry workers.
British Columbia Premier David Eby says Canadian lumber now faces higher tariffs than lumber from Russia, and Ottawa should treat the higher tariffs that come into effect as a national emergency.
The following day, the Minister of Industry, Mélanie Joly, stated that support for the softwood sector can be expected soon and will include financing distributed by banks but supported by the Business Development Bank of Canada.
Eby said he is pushing hard to get that support for forestry workers and that money from Ottawa needs to start flowing immediately.
“These companies are on a knife’s edge. Shifts are already being reduced. People are already losing jobs and work needs to be deployed now,” the prime minister said.
Andy Rielly, board president of the Independent Lumber Processors Association of British Columbia, told Barton that “it’s a very serious situation” because if British Columbia loses small and medium-sized logging businesses, “they’re not going to magically come back.”
“That’s what really concerns me, because not only the primary sawmill in British Columbia, but also the value-added sector is very important to the future of the forestry business in British Columbia.”
Tensions within the Canadian team?
As the trade war between Canada and the United States continues, Canada’s team showed some signs of tension this week over where it should focus and how to respond to the relentless duties of US President Donald Trump.
Eby expressed some anxiety Tuesday about the situation, saying provinces like Ontario and Quebec are often on the minds of federal leaders, leaving British Columbia and issues that primarily affect British Columbians all but forgotten.
This week’s question is: How will the federal government maintain a united front as the tariff agitation pits premiers against each other? Liberals advance bail reform. And Pierre Poilievre accuses the RCMP of shielding Justin Trudeau from criminal charges.
Asked if he is concerned about presenting a divided front, Eby told Barton he believes it is crucial that all prime ministers be part of Team Canada, and that different regions can disagree with each other without losing sight of the key goal of strengthening the country’s economy.
“We’re all moving in the same direction,” Eby said. “We’re going to have disagreements about emphasis and tactics, and that’s normal.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford this week called on the federal government to hit the United States hard if Canada can’t reach a trade deal. He also said he is “sick and tired of sitting around and rolling around.”
On Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government is not considering more retaliatory tariffs on American goods because there are signs that bilateral aid talks are headed in the right direction.
“There’s a time to hit back and there’s a time to talk. And right now is the time to talk,” Carney said. “We are having intense negotiations.”
