EDMONTON — As a doable Feb. 1 deadline looms for the USA to impose punishing tariffs on Canadian items, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she’s sticking to her diplomatic strategy to attempt to cease them.
EDMONTON — As a doable Feb. 1 deadline looms for the USA to impose punishing tariffs on Canadian items, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she’s sticking to her diplomatic strategy to attempt to cease them.
Smith, in a digital information convention from Washington on Tuesday, mentioned Alberta should “wait and see” what the tariffs appear to be earlier than laying out a response.
“I do not assume that there is a lot level in making an attempt to barter this in public with the media,” mentioned Smith, who’s within the U.S. capital to speak with lawmakers.
“It’s far more important for us to be thoughtful about it, to see what actually comes through, and then to be able to take a proportionate response.”
She mentioned Trump stays unpredictable.
“We do not know when it is coming in,” she mentioned.
“So till we see what it seems like, I do not assume we are able to actually know what the Canadian response goes to be.”
Trump mentioned late Monday, hours after being sworn in as president, that he’s considering of instituting 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican items beginning Feb. 1.
He had beforehand mentioned the tariffs might come on his first day in workplace.
Additionally Monday, Trump signed an government order directing federal companies to check commerce points — together with alleged unfair practices by Canada, Mexico and China — with an April 1 deadline.
Smith mentioned Canada should chorus from making retaliatory threats, as a result of she does not assume the U.S. president “responds nicely” to them and that Trump is “enthusiastic” about tariffs as a income supply.
She mentioned she sees the reprieve as a possibility to proceed to make the pleasant case to maintain tariffs off the desk.
With Trump’s vocal assist of petroleum manufacturing, Smith mentioned pipeline firms are “dusting off outdated plans” which will have been shelved throughout the earlier U.S. administration.
Smith has pursued diplomacy to deal with Trump’s foremost irritants. Trump has pointed to Canada’s border safety, army spending and commerce imbalance — issues Smith says can and must be rectified.
Trump has additionally introduced financial measures as a method to squeeze Canada and make it extra amenable to being annexed by the U.S.
Smith visited Trump at his Florida dwelling earlier this month to make the case for unencumbered cross-border commerce and is in Washington this week to tout cross-border power to U.S. officers and lawmakers.
She has damaged ranks together with her fellow premiers by dismissing discuss of retaliatory threats, together with a counter-tariff on Alberta’s oil and gasoline shipments.
That strategy has come beneath hearth from critics who say it undermines Canada’s negotiating place and {that a} extra confrontational strategy is required to counter an existential risk to Canada’s sovereignty.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated Tuesday that if Trump strikes on tariffs, Canada will reply and “everything is on the table.”
After Smith refused to signal a joint communique from her provincial counterparts final week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford mentioned Canada must combat American threats with a united strategy.
“In a card recreation, you don’t present your opposition your playing cards,” he mentioned.
Smith pushed again at Ford in an interview with the CBC on Monday, saying she would by no means advocate chopping off auto exports from Ontario or aluminum exports from Quebec.
“It hurt me that they felt that they could make that same argument, that Alberta should sacrifice our interests in order to try to advance some kind of trade war,” she mentioned.
Smith acquired some political assist from an sudden ally Tuesday. Bloc Québécois Chief Yves-François Blanchet mentioned it might be “absurd” to chop power exports.
Smith additionally rejected a suggestion that her strategy was all for naught. She mentioned Tuesday if there’s any blame, it is on Trudeau for failing to construct bridges with Trump.
Smith mentioned she’s counting down the times till Trudeau resigns, opening the door to a brand new federal Liberal chief who would doubtless must face a fast common election.
The Liberals are set to select a brand new chief March 9.
Alberta NDP Chief Naheed Nenshi mentioned Smith has failed in her diplomatic efforts with Trump and has reverted to speaking factors that assault Ottawa.
“She is exposing rifts in Canada, which makes us weaker, as a result of she thinks it’s going to profit her politically. There is no different motive to do it. She’s clearly not truly speaking to business about what they want,” Nenshi mentioned.
Nenshi mentioned whereas Smith has instructed it is not fruitful to barter in public, that is what she’s been doing.
“She’s been exhibiting her playing cards on each single transfer,” he mentioned.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Jan. 21, 2025.
Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press
