B.C. Premier David Eby said he hopes the federal government will continue to apply pressure in the trade war with the United States—and didn’t rule out tariffing or restricting the province’s energy exports.
“There’s lots still on the table for the federal government to have a conversation about with the president of the United States,” he said in an interview with BNN Bloomberg Tuesday.
Eby also noted that thermal coal from the U.S. is shipped out of ports in B.C., suggesting targeting these shipments is something “we should be looking at.”
While supportive of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s imposition of counter-tariffs, Eby also said he hopes the feds will look more closely at non-tariff measures as part of the response to what he described as the “extortionate” actions of the U.S president.
Halting a multibillion-dollar purchase of American-made fighter jets was one measure he explicitly called for.
Eby also made an appearance at a province-run liquor store Tuesday, touting an ongoing ban on stocking and selling American alcohol as one of the “key responses” in the trade war with the U.S.
The premier also asked residents not to travel to the United States.
“Choose another place to do your tourism,” Eby said, also asking people to choose Canadian products. “If you can choose a Canadian product instead of an American one, please choose it. Right now, Canadian workers from coast to coast to coast need our support.”
Eby’s news conference came on the heels of the leader of the Opposition B.C. Conservatives describing the booze ban as “not prudent or intelligent negotiating.”
