Danielle Smith refuses to sign joint statement issued by provincial leaders on how to confront Trump tariffs

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith refused to sign off on a joint statement issued by fellow provincial leaders and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday on how Canada plans to respond to Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

 

The Premier blamed the federal government’s unwillingness to rule out export levies or restrictions on energy exports as part of potential retaliatory measures.

 

Her position highlights a major political rift in the country as Ottawa and the provinces attempt to project unity in the face of the U.S. economic threat.

 

“Federal government officials continue to publicly and privately float the idea of cutting off energy supply to the U.S. and imposing export tariffs on Alberta energy and other products to the United States,” Ms. Smith said in a post on X after the first ministers’ meeting in Ottawa.

 

“Until these threats cease, Alberta will not be able to fully support the federal government’s plan in dealing with the threatened tariffs. Alberta will simply not agree to export tariffs on our energy or other products, nor do we support a ban on exports of these same products,” she said.

 

Mr. Trudeau and most of Canada’s premiers gathered in Ottawa to discuss retaliation plans to respond to Mr. Trump, opportunities to deepen partnerships with the United States – from critical minerals to defence – and ways to support Canadian jobs and companies harmed by possible U.S. tariffs.

Mr. Trump will be sworn in on Jan. 20 and has threatened 25-per-cent tariffs on all Canadian goods until the country stops illegal migration and drug smuggling at its border with the U.S. He’s also repeatedly referred to Canada as the “51st state,” called Mr. Trudeau its “governor,” and said he would use “economic force” to try to annex Canada, while claiming a trade imbalance with Canada is a subsidy and vowing to renegotiate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal.

 

“While they are making every effort to prevent U.S tariffs, first ministers are committed to continuing to work together on a full range of measures to ensure a robust response to possible U.S. tariffs, including supports for sectors, businesses and individuals,” Mr. Trudeau and the premiers said in their joint statement.

 

They talked about the need for spending during a possible trade war to “effectively mitigate economic impacts to workers and businesses” and the need to share revenue from any retaliatory tariffs that Canada imposes on the United States, the statement said.

 

Inside the meeting, Mr. Trudeau outlined retaliatory tariffs that would cover about $150-billion worth of U.S. goods – part of Ottawa’s planned measures, a government official said. This doesn’t include other actions that the federal government could take, including export levies of its own on Canadian shipments to the United States that would generate money for Ottawa. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the individual who was not authorized to publicly discuss these matters.

 

Ottawa and the provinces agreed that they will have to move quickly to limit the economic damage if Mr. Trump strikes and Canada hits back.

 

“If the federal government implements retaliatory measures, it will ensure the rapid availability of substantial resources that effectively mitigate economic impacts to workers and businesses. This includes, but is not limited to, the distribution of revenues from potential retaliatory tariffs as quickly as possible.” The first ministers “agreed to take a collaborative approach to U.S. engagement that recognizes the unique economic needs of all provinces and territories.”

 

The bottom of the joint statement from the premiers and Mr. Trudeau on Wednesday said: “The government of Alberta did not approve the joint statement between the government of Canada and the Council of the Federation.”

 

Asked about Ms. Smith’s reservations, Mr. Trudeau said Canada can’t rule out export taxes and Canadians should be putting the country first. At the meeting’s closing press conference, he pointed out that Mr. Trump has particularly threatened the Canadian auto industry, but Canadians don’t hear Ontario Premier Doug Ford rejecting the idea of retaliatory measures.

 

“The incoming American president has specifically and explicitly targeted one industry in Canada, one sector of the economy. And it’s not the Alberta oil industry. It’s the Ontario auto sector. It’s an auto pact that has been incredibly successful for 50 years: building cars on both sides of the border that benefits both Canadians and Americans,” Mr. Trudeau said. “That’s the target.”

 

Mr. Ford, he noted, is not arguing for exemptions. “Nothing can be off the table if the U.S. continues to choose to move forward with these punishing tariffs on both Canadians and Americans,” the Prime Minister said.

 

The Ontario Premier did not respond to Mr. Trudeau’s statement but earlier in the closing press conference, he had argued for a tough response if the United States imposes tariffs.

 

Asked about Ms. Smith’s actions, Mr. Ford talked about the need for Canadian unity. “Remember one thing: United we stand, divided we fall.”

 

“When you have someone that’s attacking your country, trying to take livelihoods off people, I’m gonna fight like you’ve never seen before,” Mr. Ford said. Later, he added: “I don’t care if you’re from the orange party, the blue party or the red party. We’re going to be united. We’re Canadian. We’re going to get this done.”

 

Quebec Premier François Legault echoed other premiers at the closing meeting, saying they hope to avoid a trade war but if Mr. Trump does implement tariffs, “nothing’s off the table” when it comes to retaliation, including energy.

 

Mr. Trudeau said meeting participants “agreed that no one region of the country should disproportionately bear the burden of standing up for all other Canadians.”

 

Ms. Smith and B.C. Premier David Eby were not present in Ottawa on Wednesday but participated in the first ministers’ meeting by teleconference.

 

The government official, who was in the first ministers’ meeting, said Ms. Smith used her interventions to argue strongly against discussion of any retaliation that might affect energy and specifically against export taxes. She further said that if Americans apply no tariff on Canadian energy, she believes there should be no countertariffs that affect energy.

 

Asked for a response to this account of Ms. Smith’s statements inside the meeting, Sam Blackett, the Premier’s press secretary, said her statement on X stands as her comments regarding the first ministers’ meeting.

Later in her social-media post, Ms. Smith said she plans on attending Mr. Trump’s inauguration and will keep pressing U.S. officials and lawmakers to refrain from imposing tariffs on Canadian products and instead try to expand two-way trade.

 

She urged Canada 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, instead of effectively land-locking them and keeping us fully reliant on one primary customer.”

 

The U.S. is Alberta’s largest international trading partner, with crude petroleum making up the bulk of exports. Alberta’s total international merchandise exports reached $15.1-billion in September and the U.S. accounted for $13.3-billion of that, according to provincial data published in November.

 

Mr. Eby, speaking to reporters in B.C., did not fault Ms. Smith. “It is not a precondition to participate in Team Canada that you agree with every tactic that could be used. And Premier Smith is a vital part of the team. We’re all working together to protect jobs in this country, and she’s got to do what she needs to do.”

 

With reports from Alanna Smith and Justine Hunter

 

 

 

 

 

This article was first reported by The Globe and Mail