Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the provincial government will avoid purchasing U.S. goods and services and launch an advertising campaign to help shoppers buy Canadian products while U.S tariffs persist.
“This economic attack on our country, combined with Mr. Trump’s continued talk of using economic force to facilitate the annexation of our country, has broken trust between our two countries in a profound way,” Smith said at a news conference in Medicine Hat, Alta., about 145 kilometres from the U.S. border.
“It is a betrayal of a deep and abiding friendship.”
Smith said she has directed cabinet to change government procurement — including school boards, Crown corporations and municipalities — to prioritize purchasing from suppliers in Alberta, Canada and countries that are honouring Canadian trade agreements.
Smith said Alberta’s liquor and gaming agency would make no further purchases of American alcohol or video lottery terminals.
Tariffs in effect on Tuesday
U.S. tariffs came into effect Tuesday morning — 25 per cent on most Canadian goods, but 10 per cent on oil and gas products. It has signalled a tit-for-tat dispute over billions in cross-border trade between the allied nations.
The federal government is imposing 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of American products and plans to expand them to cover another $125 billion in goods in 21 days.
Other provincial governments announced retaliatory measures on Tuesday, including pulling American liquor from government store shelves and banning American businesses from bidding on provincial contracts.
Alberta government officials will work with grocery stores to help label Canadian products and ask shops to purchase from Canadian vendors where possible, and there will be a “substantial advertising campaign” to help Albertans identify Canadian-made products, Smith said.
The premier said Alberta’s government will also work to further eliminate inter-provincial trade and worker mobility barriers, and develop new markets for Alberta oil and gas products other than the U.S.
Smith also spoke directly to Albertans, noting the road ahead would be bumpy, lined with job losses, inflation and potentially big provincial deficits if tariffs remain in place for a prolonged period.
U.S. President Donald Trump has shown no sign of softening his stance and has now pledged to impose additional, reciprocal tariffs on America’s trade partners.
He has said one rationale for the tariffs is to force Canadian officials to stop the flow across the border of fentanyl and chemicals used to produce the deadly drug.
On Wednesday, Trump posted on his social media site, Truth Social, that he told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this morning nothing has convinced him the flow of fentanyl across Canadian and Mexican borders has stopped.
“He said that it’s gotten better, but I said, ‘That’s not good enough.’ The call ended in a ‘somewhat’ friendly manner!” Trump’s post said.
During an address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump defended the levies on other countries, including Canada, and promised new tariffs, to be introduced on April 2, on any country that applies levies on American goods.
Trump said tariffs are “about protecting the soul” of the country.
“Whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we will tax them,” he told the House.
U.S. President Donald Trump showed little sign of backing down on his tariffs during an address to Congress on Tuesday, defending the crushing levies that just kicked in for Canadian goods and repeating his promise for another set next month.
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