The premiers may still be far apart on a collective response to U.S. tariffs, but are united on plans to boost interprovincial trade.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held another meeting with provincial premiers on Jan. 22 to plan a response to the threat of U.S. tariffs, which U.S. President Donald Trump has said could be in place by Feb. 1.
“First Ministers discussed the importance of reducing barriers to trade within Canada and agreed that there is more work to be done to facilitate internal trade,” said a Jan. 22 release from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Internal Trade Council, which includes representatives from all provinces and territories and Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand, will soon meet to look at improving trade among the provinces and recommend “concrete measures,” says the release.
Anand said on social media on Jan. 23 that enhancing internal trade and removing barriers will be “a key tool to ignite the domestic economy, enhance foreign investment and counter the impact of potential tariffs.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said it takes too long to get interprovincial projects approved. He cited Ontario’s ‘Ring of Fire’ which he said could be a source of critical minerals to other parts of Canada but that it’s “taking years to get approvals.” He also criticized the cancellation of domestic pipeline projects such as Energy East and the Northern Gateway pipepine, saying these types of projects would help reduce dependency on the United States.
Related Stories
He estimated internal trade could boost Canada’s GDP between $50 and $100 billion.
Ford also told reporters on Jan. 22 that consensus among the premiers in the tariff response was still being worked on, and that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was “moving along” toward a united front.
“She understands we need to be united, and I understand that she wants to protect her main commodity, but country comes first over anything,” Ford said in response to a reporter’s question about Smith not wanting to use energy export bans in response to tariffs.
In a Jan. 22 post on the X platform, Smith said the latest talks were “more positive” and that there was a “growing consensus” among premiers on several issues, such as demonstrating a commitment to border security, meeting NATO’s 2 percent defence spending target, and building more oil and gas pipelines within Canada.
Nova Scotia’s Premier Tim Houston told reporters on Jan. 21 that the looming trade war should be a signal that Canada needs to strengthen its own economy.
“That means looking at our own internal trade policies across the country, and asking ourselves simple questions like, ‘Why is it so hard to send a bottle of wine from one province to another?’” he said.
B.C. Premier David Eby has said that Canadians should now “think carefully” about spending money in the United States and consider shopping locally to strengthen the economy, including taking holidays within Canada. He also said that Canadians should read the labels of products they buy and support Canadian-made goods.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
