B.C. premier should work with U.S., not ramp up trade threats: Opposition leader

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administers the presidential oath and swears Donald J. Trump in as the 47th president of the United States.

The leader of B.C.‘s Opposition Conservative Party says Premier David Eby is putting people in the province at risk by “threatening a trade war” with the United States rather than working with the Americans.

In a video posted on social media, John Rustad says everything possible needs to be done to stop drugs from coming into the province and address issues at the ports, and that a trade war could cost tens of thousands of jobs.

Rustad’s video comes the day before the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he would place a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods.

Last week Eby said Trump’s proposed tariffs are an “attack” on the province and Canadians and a “declaration of economic war.”

The provincial government has estimated that the tariffs and a similar response from Canada would cumulatively cost B.C. $69 billion in lost GDP if the trade war lasts the entire four years of the Trump presidency.

In a response to the video, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon posted on social media that Rustad and his party “need to take off their ‘Make America Great Again’ hats and put on team Canada Jerseys like the rest of us Canadians.”

Eby said Thursday that his government’s top priority is ensuring the province is prepared for the tariffs and responding in a way “that protects families and ensures that we minimize the risk of any future attack like this from the United States.”

In his video, Rustad says people working in B.C.‘s resource sectors that trade with the United States are worried about what’s to come

“David Eby is putting at risk the people in this province by threatening a trade war instead of actually figuring out how you work with the Americans,” he said.

“Ontario, Saskatchewan and even, I think, Alberta, are looking at how they work with the Americans, not ramping up the trade rhetoric.”

Rustad says he fears Eby wants to be able to blame the United States for problems in the province rather than doing “what’s right.”

“Let’s make sure that we protect our borders, make sure that we stop this flow of fentanyl that’s killing people in this province, and actually get down to work with having a relationship with our largest trading partner, with our greatest ally, and figure out how can we grow our economy and help people in this province, as opposed to just playing politics,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2025