Alberta won’t support feds plan to deal with Trump tariffs, Smith says
Posted Jan 15, 2025 3:24 pm.
Last Updated Jan 15, 2025 6:02 pm.
Alberta is refusing to sign on to a joint statement from all other premiers and the prime minister on the plan to respond to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s potential tariffs on Canadian goods.
The decision from Premier Danielle Smith comes after a first ministers meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday that was aimed at showing a united front in response to the tariff threats.
As the premiers and Justin Trudeau held their closing news conference, a joint statement was released, vowing a collaborative approach to any tariffs and promising supports for business and regions that could be hard hit.
Smith, who joined the meeting virtually since she is on vacation, decided not to sign on and instead released her own statement saying Alberta will not agree to export tariffs on energy or other products.
“Until these threats cease, Alberta will not be able to fully support the federal government’s plan in dealing with the threatened tariffs,” wrote Smith. “We will take whatever actions are needed to protect the livelihoods of Albertans from such destructive federal policies.”
“We also urge our entire nation to use this tariff threat as an opportunity to correct the misguided direction of this country and commence multiple infrastructure projects that focus on developing, upgrading and exporting our oil, gas and other natural resources.”
Smith plans to travel to Washington for Trump’s inauguration next week and says she also plans to visit the U.S. several times in the coming months to make the case against tariffs on Canadian products and to strengthen trade.
Ontario premier Doug Ford called for a forceful response and suggested that Smith is playing into the hands of Trump.
“He’s sitting there with a big smile on his face thinking ‘I’m going to divide and conquer,'” says Ford. “Remember one thing, united we stand and divided we fall.”
“We need to be united.”
WATCH: Canadian premier building response to Trump tariff threats
Trudeau pointed out that Trump has specifically targeted the Ontario auto sector in his threats, and not Alberta’s energy sector. The PM commended Ford on putting Canada first in the face of the possible tariffs.
“Nothing can be off the table if the U.S. continues to move forward with these punishing tariffs,” Trudeau says.
Smith travelled south this weekend for a face-to-face meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. It was an effort to stave off Trump’s promised 25 per cent levy on all Canadian goods — including Alberta’s mainstay oil and gas exports.
Smith has cautioned Ottawa against blocking energy exports to the U.S. in response to tariffs, calling it an “empty threat” that would spark a national unity crisis.
Saskatchewan had previously raised similar issues with the federal approach but ended up signing on to the joint statement in the end.
Trump is promising the tariffs shortly after he takes office Monday. He has also suggested the tariffs are part of a larger strategy to annex Canada through “economic force.”
The federal government has not released details of the full response yet and officials have said they need to wait and see exactly what Trump does after he takes office.
With files from the Canadian Press
