Trade tensions rise as Pres. Trump threatens Canada with new tariffs on dairy and lumber; B.C. Premier threatens tolls on truckers
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - New tariffs could be placed on dairy and lumber from Canada, according to President Donald Trump.
The warning was delivered via a press conference in the Oval Office on Friday, and it came one day after Trump issued a one-month reprieve to Canada on 25% tariffs.
“Canada has been ripping us off for years on tariffs for lumber and for dairy products, 250%, nobody ever talks about that 250% tariff, which is taking advantage of our farmers,” the President said. “So that’s not going to happen anymore.”
“They’ll be met with the exact same tariff unless they drop it,” he said.
Trump said that the tariffs on dairy and lumber could go into effect as quickly as Friday, but he might wait until early next week.
This statement comes one day after the British Columbia Premier, David Eby, announced “new measures to defend B.C. from Trump tariffs.”
Those measures include proposed legislation that would allow B.C. to apply tolls and fees to U.S. commercial vehicles traveling through B.C. to Alaska.
“The tariffs imposed by Trump are a profound mistake and are hurting families on both sides of the border,” Premier Eby said in a written statement.
“My team will continue to work hard every day to defend British Columbians through this and come out stronger on the other side,” he said. “Every option is on the table.”
During a press conference on Thursday, Eby laid out the proposed legislation.
“I’m here to share that we will be introducing a new law in the coming days to respond to this historic challenge: unprecedented legislation. It will include such countermeasures as allowing the province to apply fees to commercial trucks that transit through British Columbia on their way to Alaska,” Eby said.
In a statement issued to Alaska’s News Source on Friday, Governor Mike Dunleavy said he has hope that compromise will come.
“My hope is that the federal governments between our two great countries work out solutions to the tariff issues, and provincial and state governments refrain from making unilateral decisions that may have negative consequences that negatively impact discussions at the federal level as they find solutions,” said the Governor in a written statement.
Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel supports Senate Joint Resolution 9 which says, “Recognizing and honoring the relationship between Canada and Alaska; and recognizing the importance of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiated by President Donald J. Trump in October of 2018″.
“To hear about the toll on vehicles coming up to Alaska or even just transiting into British Columbia is very concerning,” Sen. Giessel said in an interview with Alaska’s News Source on Friday.
“Alaska is an island. We don’t have a rail connection. We do have barges. Obviously we can ship things up by sea. But we drive a lot of things up as well,” she said. “I am a little concerned because the Governor and the President are advocating strongly for a gas pipeline to be constructed. A lot of those materials will be trucked to Alaska.”
Giessel’s concern about Alaska’s relationship with Canada ventures beyond just trade. The state relies on our partners in Canada for defense and military needs as well.
“We have no naval base in Alaska,” Giessel said. “And yet we have more coast than the rest of the United States put together. So our coastline is only protected by Coast Guard. Their base is down in Kodiak.”
“We have nothing on the Bering Sea. So Canada, their Air Force responds. Their Coast Guard responds if we need help over on our side. We’re all connected in the Arctic and of course, we are very closely positioned to some challenging neighbors,” she said.
In terms of what this will mean for prices in Alaska, Alaska’s News Source is working to learn more about the tariff process and exactly what Canadian goods are relied upon.
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