David Eby among premiers heading to Washington to tamp down Trump tariff threat

The state of the federal government following the announcement that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would resign means Canada’s premiers are taking the lead in the fight against tariffs threatened by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, B.C. Premier David Eby said.

Eby said Tuesday that he and other premiers plan to go to Washington, where Trump will be inaugurated this month, to meet with American decision makers and try to persuade the Trump to back away from his tariff plan.

Eby’s comments in Vancouver come on the same day Trump threatened to use economic force to make Canada the 51st state and continued to promise substantial tariffs on Canada and Mexico. His comments came in his first news conference since his election win was certified.

Eby said the provincial and territorial leaders have a meeting scheduled for Wednesday to discuss how they can co-ordinate, in light of this week’s announcement that Trudeau will give up his post once a new Liberal leader is chosen.

“Given the state of the federal government currently, the leadership on this file has come from the premiers across Canada, and so we’re going to continue to do that work,” he said.

Eby said the premiers will make the case that the proposed tariffs “will mean a significant increase in prices for Americans” on costs like homes and electricity.

A date for the trade mission has not been set.

Trump has previously said he would impose a 25 per cent tariff on imports from America’s closest neighbours unless they stop the flow of illegal drugs and migrants across the border.

Eby said the tariffs are “totally unjustified” and the issues at the border can be addressed without such duties.

“It makes no sense to punish both Americans and Canadians to address that issue. We can do it together,” Eby said.

Earlier Tuesday, Trudeau said on social media that “there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.”

Eby said Canada would not be joining America.

“Canadians are proud. I’m proud to be Canadian. We are not becoming the 51st state,” he said.

“I think that one of the recognitions of both Canadians and Americans is that we are different places, we have different priorities, and yet we’re good neighbours and friends and, in many cases, family.”

The House of Commons in Ottawa is prorogued until March 24 with many expecting a new Liberal leader to be in place before then.

B.C. members of the legislature are not expected to be back in the house until mid-February.

Eby said there’s “no question” the legislature would be called back immediately if there’s a need to co-ordinate a response to tariffs.

“So, if a retaliation measure, for example, required provincial legislation, or if there were a co-ordinated border initiative that required provincial legislation, we wouldn’t hesitate,” he said.

“No proposals like that have been made yet. We’ll be having discussions this Wednesday with premiers from across Canada to ensure that we’re co-ordinating. And I hope that even despite the resignation of the prime minister, the federal government is able to participate in meaningful ways with us moving forward.”

— With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington.