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Local MLAs react as Premier David Eby takes a stand against potential tariffs

The Canadian and US flags near the Ambassador Bridge on the Canada-US border in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. Canada's new finance minister said the government needs to preserve its fiscal ability to support households and businesses if Donald Trump's tariff threats materialize into an economic shock. (Brett Gundlock/Bloomberg)

In a bid to safeguard British Columbia’s economy amidst the threat of a potential trade war, Premier David Eby says he has met with leaders of major mining and refining companies.

The companies are now seeking to redirect critical minerals and energy products to international markets, diverting them away from the United States. The move is part of an ongoing retaliation effort against U.S. tariffs, with Eby already ordering the removal of products, including bourbon from Republican-leaning states, from government-owned liquor stores.

The actions follow demands from opposition leader John Rustad to implement his Tariff Response Plan, which outlines 10 steps that could directly impact the Peace Region industry. Among them are a Fiscal Emergency Bill, a 10-year extension of already permitted LNG pipeline projects, cost reductions for the forest sector, and negotiating a Canada-wide free trade agreement.

“The lengthy amount of time -- the ridiculous amount of time -- that it’s taking to get permits for oil and gas projects, for mining, for forestry, it’s more than significant... It’s crushing to many industries,” MLA Larry Neufeld told CJDC-TV.

The Peace River South MLA also warned that bureaucratic hurdles could drive investment out of the province. Neufeld says that during a Greater Vancouver Board of Trade meeting last week, he learned that interprovincial barriers account for 27 percent of business costs, and eliminating them could mitigate some of the impact of U.S. tariffs and reduce reliance on the United States.

“We’re going to look inwards and we’re going to look eastwards and we’re going to look westwards. We’re going to develop new markets. We’re going to implement -- or push very hard toward -- getting a free trade agreement among Canada,” said Neufeld.

However, while the MLA says we are in the midst of a challenging time, there are opportunities that the current situation presents. A sentiment shared by Jordan Kealy.

“We have amazing potential in Canada and British Columbia to be able to supply and make all of our own goods, but right now, we’re not in a scenario where we can just instantly make that happen. When tariffs are proposed, our leaders have to take that very seriously,” said Kealy.

Earlier today, Eby said one-quarter of the lumber used for construction in the U.S. currently comes from Canada, and homebuilding in the L.A. area, where thousands of structures were destroyed, will be more expensive if the tariffs are put in place.

The MLA for Peace River North pointed to an already damaged forest sector before Trump threatened the tariffs because of actions taken by the NDP government.

“If you want to see a perfect example of who’s done the most damage to our forestry sector, that’s the NDP,” said Kealy, who also commended the action of the federal government for taking steps to strengthen the border against the flow of illegal weapons and drugs.

“I’m glad to see that Trudeau actually figured out how to make a deal, and we see that the tariffs have been put off for at least one month,” said Kealy.

Canada and the United States appear to have avoided a costly tariff war for now after leaders of both countries found some common ground during a call on Monday. The tariffs have been delayed for 30 days, according to a post on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s X account.

U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports, with the exception of energy, which would be subject to a 10 percent tariff. In response, Trudeau announced counter tariffs on $30 billion in American goods, which could rise to $155 billion later this month.

*With Files from The Canadian Press, CTV News