B.C. remains open to “all different options” in the fight against U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats, according to the province’s jobs and economic development minister.
The comments come after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith travelled to Florida, where she met with Trump over the weekend.
“B.C. is very aware of the impact of tariffs because of softwood lumber and our wood industry. We know how decimated our communities have been in the north,” Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation Minister Diana Gibson told Global News.
“We know we need to fight the tariffs if they are coming with every strategy we have, so in B.C. all options are on the table right now.”
Asked about the potential for Canada to use more hardball options, such as restricting U.S. access to products from Teck Resource’s smelter in Trail, B.C., Gibson said the province is looking at all options.
“Certainly export bans like that are on the table,” she said.
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Teck’s smelter produces germanium, a critical mineral used in a variety of tech applications such as fibre optic cable. China, which produces the majority of the mineral, recently banned its export to the U.S.
While Gibson wouldn’t rule out a tougher approach, she said the Teck case, like B.C.’s assistance with the California wildfires, shows how cooperation between the two countries is more valuable than conflict.
“It shows how interconnected our economies are and how much we rely on each other,” she said.
Following the weekend meeting, Alberta’s Smith said she believes tariffs are coming to Canada, and will include oil and gas exports.
Smith’s visit as a guest of entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary has spurred controversy, attracting criticism that she has broken from a unified “Team Canada” approach to dealing with the United States.
Smith subsequently said she opposes blocking oil and gas exports to the U.S., saying it would cause a “national unity crisis.”
“Oil and gas is going to be key to being able to get a breakthrough once tariffs do come, in getting them off,” she said.
“We maintain a strong partnership on energy, we make the case about how much the Americans benefit from that energy relationship, we demonstrate we are a good trade partner.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, by contrast, has said he would prefer to ship more minerals and energy to the U.S., Canada should not hesitate to “pull out every single tool we have until they can feel the pain.”
Gibson said with the looming threat, Canada should not rule out any ideas to counter U.S. protectionism.
“We know we need to fight the tariffs if they are coming with every strategy we have, so for B.C. all options are on the table right now so we can be the most strategic we can to protect B.C.,” she said.
“And we hope the other provinces will bring that to the table federally.”
Gibson said the province was also taking a soft-power approach, lobbying western state governors, and would be sending a delegation to Washington D.C. as well.
She said the province is also looking at diversifying its other trade relationships and expediting major projects to help bolster the province’s economy.
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