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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she does not plan to retaliate against U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian goods with an alcohol ban.
She told her provincewide call-in radio show Saturday she is leaving it up to retailers and consumers to decide how to stock their shelves and whether to drink American products with the looming tariffs.
“People should understand that the Americans have not banned a single product from Canada from going into the United States, so it’s a pretty extraordinary measure to put a ban in place,” she said.
“The approach that we’ve got to take has got to be measured. We’ve got to be calm about it. We can’t get overly emotional about it, and we’ve just got to work through the sectoral issues one by one.”
Several Canadian provincial liquor boards stopped purchasing American alcohol last year in response to Trump’s previous tariff threats and annexation comments.
While Saskatchewan and Alberta returned American booze to the shelves after a few months, major purchasing provinces like Ontario and Quebec have not resumed stocking U.S. alcohol.
It has become a pressure point among both political parties in the United States.
Trump recently threatened to hit many Canadian products with 50 per cent tariffs next month.
Then, he announced extra tariffs of 10 per cent on dozens of countries, including Canada — although the new duties don’t apply to goods under their continental trade pact known as CUSMA.
American officials have said the latest tariff threats are a response to various things, including provincial bans on U.S. alcohol.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the Canadian and American governments have agreed to intensify trade negotiations.
While Ontario Premier Doug Ford, British Columbia Premier David Eby and Premier Susan Holt of New Brunswick have hinted they are open to increasing the pressure to force a fair trade agreement, Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe have so far drawn a hard line against using their province’s cross-border exports in negotiation tactics.
Smith was asked Saturday on her radio show why Alberta continues to play nice.
Smith said she prefers to stay calm and win the hearts and minds of Americans instead of retaliating.
“Eventually we think it will have an impact on the decision makers and that’s that’s the approach we want to stick with,” she said.
She said she would rather negotiate with diplomacy rather than “threatening to punch someone in the nose.”
Later in the show, she said she feels optimistic Ottawa will reach an agreement with Trump’s on latest 50 per cent tariff threat.
“We’re counting down the days with this new deadline. It sounds like a level of intensity is going to increase to try to get to the finish line on that.”
