Premiers Respond
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the new announcement by the White House an “important win for Canada and Alberta,” noting that the United States has decided to “uphold the majority of the free trade agreement [USMCA]. ”
“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including 0% tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods,” Smith said in a social media
post on Apr. 2.
Smith said Ottawa and the premiers should shift their focus toward “removing or significantly reducing” the remaining tariffs, and called on all “our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion” and to avoid “unnecessary escalation.”
Quebec Premier François Legault said in a
post that his government is “aware” of the new announcement by the Trump administration and that he will provide further comments on April 3 after meeting with the prime minister and other premiers.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said he remains “concerned about the previously announced tariffs on Canadian steel and lumber,” and that his government will continue to engage with Americans to remove the tariffs.
“Saskatchewan will continue to make the case that free and fair trade benefits our citizens on both sides of the border as we work to increase our export markets in the US and throughout the world,” Moe wrote on
social media.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston noted that Canada wasn’t “hit with the worst-case scenario in terms of tariffs” but “thousands of Nova Scotians will be impacted” by the remaining tariffs.
“This entire experience has been a huge drain on the mental health of Canadians, and thousands of Nova Scotians are exhausted from the stress of dealing with this uncertainty and instability,” Houston said in a social media
post.
He added that the province’s retaliatory measures, which are non-tariff in nature, remain in place.
“This means we will continue to look for ways to put Nova Scotia and Canadian companies first as we review and cancel non-essential contracts with U.S. suppliers,” he said. “The increased tolls at the Cobequid Pass for commercial vehicles from the U.S. will remain. American alcohol will remain off the shelves of the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. stores.”
In an apparent reference to the White House announcement, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said on
social media, “We are going to work together so that we can deliver on a simple promise - that your jobs are going to be here today, tomorrow and long after Donald Trump leaves office.”
Earlier in the day, Ontario Premier Doug Ford appeared in various American media interviews, saying in a social media
post that the tariffs will “put millions of American jobs at risk and raise costs for families across the U.S.”
