Eby says BC is "looking for other customers" as Trump tariffs put US economic ties on hold
BC Premier David Eby said that the province is “looking for other customers” as US President Donald Trump continues to push his tariff threat on Canada.
Eby made the comments Wednesday, following a meeting with his fellow Canadian premiers and US lawmakers in Washington, DC.
The premier acknowledged that the overall discussions were “positive” with both Democrat and Republican representatives.
“The common theme among all the meetings is that the elected representatives from all parties understand the importance of the relationship between the United States and Canada,” said Eby, speaking to reporters.
“It’s a puzzle for all of us, and certainly it’s a puzzle for us from British Columbia to understand why the Americans would make themselves pay 25% more for aluminum that they can’t get anywhere else,” he added.
On Monday, Trump signed orders imposing 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, which are planned to come into effect on March 12.
Currently, Trump’s proposal to charge 25% on most Canadian goods imported into the US (10% on energy) is on pause following a February 3 phone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which temporarily halted the measures for 30 days.
Eby added that BC is working on expanding its global trade partners.
“For British Columbia, the last thing we’re considering is further economic integration with the United States right now, and that’s because of the tariff threat,” he said.
“What we’re doing is diversifying markets. We’re looking for other customers, everyone from our aluminum producers to our miners, to our forestry companies to our agriculture producers, [and] our seafood sales… and that’s really unfortunate because that’s at a cost of prosperity to British Columbians and Canadians and to Americans alike.”
In response to Trump’s threats, the BC government said it would fast-track several critical energy and resource projects.
The provincial government has previously predicted that if Trump follows through with his tariff plans, British Columbia could see a cumulative loss of $69 billion in economic activity between 2025 and 2028.
The province added that its real gross domestic product (GDP) could drop by 0.6% year-over-year in both 2025 and 2026.