B.C. Premier David Eby says a 48-hour diplomatic mission to Washington, D.C., will be primarily spent with U.S. federal lawmakers and labour leaders to explain the impact that proposed tariffs will have on business on both sides of the border.
“What we are interested in doing is working with the Americans on our shared prosperity, on growing our two economies, on ensuring that we have a strong border and addressing issues on transnational crime — that we both have an interest in fighting — and that there is no need for this fight,” said Eby, speaking Monday night at Vancouver International Airport before departure.
He said he will also explain that B.C. has many of the critical minerals the U.S. economy needs.
Eby downplayed some of the issues U.S. President Donald Trump has cited as reasons for the tariffs.
“There are some longstanding issues at our borders, issues related to transnational organized crime and issues like that, which have taken on a renewed level of attention from the federal government and I’m seeing action on that. But in saying that, I want to underline I don’t think that’s what these tariffs are about. The president was clear today and increasingly so that these tariffs are about raising revenue,” said Eby.
Eby said 25 per cent steel and aluminium tariffs levelled against Canada, announced Monday, do not make sense for the U.S. since the country imports much of its aluminium.
“They are taxing themselves,” said Eby.
“It’s mutually assured damage.”
The premier said the tariffs will create a “headache” for B.C. aluminium producers but his government will be doing what it can to help get products overseas in haste.
Eby was asked by media who he would be meeting with but he did not specify.
Instead, Eby said he would be meeting with both Republicans and Democrats to make his case to those who are in favour of tariffs while gleaning information from those who oppose them.
But Eby said it is the Republicans who are leading the charge on tariffs. He also said he will meet with labour leaders who have supported Trump.
The trip was organized by the Council of the Federation, which is comprised of all 13 provincial and territorial premiers.
Eby said the situation is “fluid” as to whether he and other premiers will get a seat with someone in the Trump administration.
“It’s hard to predict the president’s plan and where he’ll end up,” said Eby.
“Regardless of what the president does, we will never go back to the way that we were before as Canadians being way too reliant on the decisions of one person in the White House. We took that relationship for granted, I think, and for British Columbia I’ll ensure we have that independence,” said Eby.
Eby said Canada becoming a 51st state “is never going to happen.”
