BC Premier David Eby says British Columbia is taking immediate steps to respond to the 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods and 10 per cent tariffs on energy imposed by the President of the United States.
The Premier calls President Trump’s tariffs a “betrayal of the historic bond between our countries and a declaration of economic war against a trusted ally,” and the province will support and help implement actions taken by the federal government.
The Premier has directed the BC Liquor Distribution Branch to immediately stop buying American liquor from “red states”, and remove the top-selling “red-state” brands from the shelves of public liquor stores.
He has also directed the BC government and Crown corporations to buy Canadian goods and services first.
The Province is also looking to fast track private-sector projects worth $20 billion to get them approved as quickly as possible.
The projects are expected to create 6,000 jobs in remote and rural communities.
Premier Eby says additional measures are under consideration and could be introduced in the coming days and weeks.
Premier Eby says the province is unified and “won’t back down or be bullied into becoming another state.”
A preliminary assessment of President Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs estimates the province could see a cumulative loss of $69 billion in economic activity between 2025 and 2028, and the loss of more than 120,000 jobs.
