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Smith says Alberta won’t support federal government’s plan to deal with Trump tariffs

Alberta will not sign a joint statement from all other premiers and the prime minister on a federal plan to respond to incoming US president Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs on Canadian goods.

Premier Danielle Smith was not in attendance for an hours-long first meeting between the 13 premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa this morning.

She joined the discussion virtually from Panama and did not sign the final document, which instead stated that “the government of Alberta did not approve the joint statement.”

In a statement posted to social media this afternoon, the Alberta premier expanded on her decision.


Smith said the discussion with other premiers on how to deal with Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs on Canadian goods was “constructive” and they agreed on several strategies.

However, she noted, “federal government officials continue to publicly and privately float the idea of cutting off energy supply to the US and imposing export tariffs on Alberta energy and other products to the US.”

As a result, her province will not be able to fully support the federal government’s plan until the threats against tariffs on Alberta energy cease.

“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,” Smith wrote.

“We will take whatever actions are needed to protect the livelihoods of Albertans from such destructive federal policies.”

<who>Photo Credit: Kevin O'Leary</who>Danielle Smith with incoming president Donald Trump and Canadian businessman Kevin O'Leary at Mar-a-Lago this past weekend.

Smith will be at Trump’s inauguration in Washington on Monday and said she’ll return to the US several times over the coming months to “make the case against the imposition of tariffs on Canadian products.”

In the meantime, she’s urging all Canadians to use the threat of tariffs as an opportunity to “correct the misguided direction of this country.”

The Alberta premier wants to see Canadian infrastructure projects that focus on upping the export of oil, gas and other natural resources, and less reliance on one primary customer in the US.

Trump is promising the 25% levy on all Canadian goods to take effect shortly after he takes office on Monday, suggesting that the tariffs are part of a larger strategy to annex Canada through “economic force.”



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