Premier Scott Moe says the focus needs to be on de-escalating the situation as the United States threatens widespread tariffs on Canadian products starting today.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods unless the Canadian government strengthens border security, mainly around immigrants and illegal drugs.
Moe said the province is prepared for targeted counter-tariffs but believes widespread counter-tariffs will be harmful.
“Those hurt all Canadians and hurt all North Americans, escalate the whole discussion around tariffs, and are not helpful to us building that global or continental economy into the future,” he said.
Moe added that the provinces can play a role by keeping the line of communication open with their contacts in the United States and letting them know that tariffs are a no-win situation.
“Whatever role we play with the contacts we might have, whether it be industry, business, or government, we need to constantly be communicating about the impact of not only broad-based tariffs from the U.S., but the impact of what counter-tariffs could potentially be,” Moe said.
NDP opposition leader Carla Beck had previously called for an emergency meeting of the legislature to address the potential tariffs.