British Columbia’s Conservative leader is calling on the premier to do more as the province prepares to face U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods as well as retaliation by Ottawa.
The move came after U.S. President Donald Trump signed executive orders Saturday to slap Canada with duties of 10 per cent on energy and 25 per cent on everything else.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad says his party has laid out a 10-point tariff response plan and is urging the NDP government to immediately put it in place to protect B.C.‘s economy.
Premier David Eby has launched a series of measures responding to the tariffs coming Tuesday, including directing the BC Liquor Distribution Branch to immediately stop buying American liquor from ``red states,‘’ as well as directing Crown corporations to stop buying American goods and services.
In a letter to Eby, Rustad lists some of the measures in his plan, including negotiating an agreement to remove interprovincial trade barriers, cutting the carbon tax and reopening B.C. trade offices in foreign countries.
Eby says President Donald Trump’s crushing 25 per cent tariffs are a complete betrayal of the historic bond between Canada and the U-S. Eby says it’s a declaration of economic war against a trusted ally and friend.
The Premier says other measures include directing the B-C government and Crown corporations to buy Canadian goods and services first.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he will speak with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday morning.
With files from the Canadian Press