BC Premier Responds to Donald Trump Tariffs

“We won’t back down or be bullied into becoming another state,” said Premier Eby. “Our province is unified and resolute. We'll never stop standing up for B.C. and Canada.”

As British Columbians, and as Canadians, we will stand strong and united in the face of this unprecedented attack.”

As a first step in response to the tariffs, Premier Eby announced immediate measures, including:

-directing the BC Liquor Distribution Branch to immediately stop buying American liquor from “red states”, and remove the top-selling “red-state” brands from the shelves of public liquor stores; and

-directing the B.C. government and Crown corporations to buy Canadian goods and services first.

The Province is assessing private-sector projects worth $20 billion with the goal of getting them approved as quickly as possible, and issuing their permits faster. These are expected to create 6,000 jobs in remote and rural communities.

Premier Eby added that additional measures are under consideration by B.C. and could be introduced in the coming days and weeks.

In January 2025, B.C. released its preliminary assessment of 25% tariffs. That analysis showed that B.C. could see a cumulative loss of $69 billion in economic activity between 2025 and 2028, along with the loss of more than 120,000 jobs.

Surrey Chamber of Commerce