HALIFAX — Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is calling U.S. President Donald Trump a “short-sighted man” for imposing a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods.
Houston issued a statement today saying Trump is wielding power for the sake of it, and the premier said his Progressive Conservative government will respond by immediately barring American businesses from bidding on provincial contracts.
The premier said he is also looking into cancelling existing contracts with U.S. firms.
“It is impossible to properly describe the uncertainty and chaos that President Trump’s threat of tariffs and now actually imposing tariffs has caused for Canadians,” Houston said.
“We know tariffs are bad for people and businesses on both sides of the border. Unfortunately, some people need to touch the hot stove to learn, and while we cannot control or predict their behaviour, we can control how we respond.”
Houston said the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. has been directed to remove all U.S. alcohol from its shelves, and the government will double the tolls at the Cobequid Pass for American commercial vehicles travelling that stretch of highway in the province’s north.
The Nova Scotia government is also working on a trade action plan to help businesses export internationally, beyond the U.S.
In New Brunswick, Premier Susan Holt said Trump’s “illegal, unjustified” tariffs will have a big impact in the province, where 92 per cent of exports go to the United States.
“These tariffs are an attack on Canada and on who we are, and they mark a turning point for our province and our country,” Holt said.
About half of New Brunswick’s exports to the U.S. are refined petroleum products from the Irving Oil refinery in Saint John — the largest refinery in Canada.
The non-profit Atlantica Centre for Energy says 80 per cent of the vehicles on the road in New England fill up with fuel refined in Canada. As well, New Brunswick’s Crown-owned electric utility, NB Power, has long been the primary source of electricity for northern Maine, which is not directly connected to the U.S. electricity grid.
The centre says that every year New England imports $10.2 billion worth of fuel oil, natural gas and electricity from Canada. The centre represents Irving Oil, NB Power, Nova Scotia Power, Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline, and several other energy-related businesses and organizations.
Meanwhile, the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour said the U.S. tariffs represent an unprecedented challenge to province’s workforce.
Federation president Danny Cavanagh issued a statement saying Nova Scotia has thousands of workers employed in export-oriented industries, the key ones being lumber, seafood, Christmas trees, paper products and tires from three Michelin plants.
Those industries now face a severe competitive disadvantage in the U.S. market, he said.
“These tariffs are not just numbers on paper; they represent an immediate threat to the livelihoods of thousands of Nova Scotian workers and their families,” Cavanagh said.
Cavanagh wants the Nova Scotia government to establish a tariff response committee with representatives from labour unions, Indigenous communities, affected industries and communities.
The federation is also calling for: employment insurance extensions; targeted support programs for vulnerable exporters; investment in worker retraining programs; and provincial subsidies to help employers maintain jobs if there is a prolonged economic downturn.
“This is not just about trade policy, it’s about families’ ability to pay rent, put food on the table, and survive this economic shock,” Cavanagh said.