Premier David Eby says British Columbia will pass legislation allowing it to tax U.S. trucks transiting the province to Alaska, as it ramps up retaliation to President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The measure will be included in a legislative package that Eby said will also include changes to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers and to give the government “flexibility” to respond to Trump’s executive orders.
Eby made the announcement Thursday in Victoria, as news broke that Trump was, once again, pausing 25 per cent tariffs on some Canadian goods for another month.
Eby said that would not change the province’s response.
“The tariffs are on, the tariffs are off, the threats, orders rescinded, put in place — it’s all a deliberate tactic to weaken our resolve,” Eby said.
Get daily National news
“We are not going to accept these continual threats, this continued uncertainty. We are going to stand up for Canadians. This is unacceptable,” Eby added.
“And we are going to make sure the Americans understand how pissed off we are, how unified we are, how committed we are to working as a country to stand up for each other in our own independence on our own two feet, and I say we don’t let up until the president takes the threat off the table.”
The truck tolls add to B.C.’s retaliation measures, which include the removal of alcohol produced in U.S. states from B.C. Liquor Stores and a directive across government and Crown corporations to buy Canadian products first.
The province is also moving to fast-track approval of mining and clean energy products and to diversify exports to other global markets.
Late Wednesday, Canada’s First Ministers, including B.C., revealed a breakthrough on removing interprovincial trade barriers.
Most provinces agreed to allow interprovincial direct-to-consumer sales of alcohol, and the premiers also agreed to June 1 deadlines to develop plans to recognize professional accreditation from other provinces and to review their current exemptions under the Canada Free Trade Agreement.
“We can never, ever again be in the position of being at the whim of one single person in the White House who it turns out is an unpredictable and untrustworthy partner who is not keeping his word,” Eby said.
“Despite claims to want to strengthen the border, in fact, Trump wants to eliminate the border — he wants to not buy our resources and create jobs here and mutual opportunity on both sides of the border, he wants to just take them, he wants to annex Canada and turn us into the 51st state.
“That is not a kind invitation, that is a threat to Canada.”
More to come…
-
‘We’re going after their bourbon,’ Ford says as LCBO removes U.S. alcohol from its shelves -
Trump doesn’t hate Canada, but he doesn’t care about it much: Wilbur Ross -
Trudeau says Canada-U.S. trade war to last for “foreseeable future” after “colourful” call with Trump -
Canada-U.S. tensions hitting close to home for N.B. border town