Alberta premier ‘pleased’ with lack of tariffs on Trump’s first day in office

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she is pleased that Canada won’t see any tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, inauguration day.

Shortly before Trump was sworn into office Monday, an incoming White House official who insisted on anonymity pointed reporters to a Wall Street Journal report that said Trump plans to sign an executive order launching an investigation into alleged unfair trade and currency practices by Canada, Mexico and China.

In November, Trump threatened to hit Canada with steep 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs in an executive order on his first day back in office.

“Avoiding tariffs will save hundreds of thousands of Canadian and American jobs across every sector,” the premier wrote on X Monday. “As an example, declining to impose U.S. tariffs on Canadian energy will preserve the viability of dozens of U.S. refineries and facilities that upgrade Alberta crude and the tens of thousands of Americans employed by them.”

Despite the day’s good news, Smith says the threat of tariffs from the U.S. are very much a reality. She is proposing a string of actions to avoid that happening.

The first proposal from the premier is to focus on diplomacy and stop discussions on retaliatory tariffs.

“I am convinced that the path to a positive resolution with our U.S. allies is strong and consistent diplomacy and working in good faith towards shared priorities,” Smith wrote. “The worst possible response to today’s news would be the Federal Government or Premiers declaring “victory” or escalating tensions with unnecessary threats against the United States.”

She’s also suggesting the two countries find a way to buy more products from each other; more oil, timber, and agricultural products to the U.S. from Canada, and more gas turbines, military equipment, and computer hardware to Canada from the U.S.

Provinces should also heighten their border security, either on their own or with the help of the federal government, curb the flow of illegal drugs and migration, according to Smith.

The Alberta premier also wants to speed up Canada’s two per cent GDP target, return to Stephen Harper-era immigration policies, repeal all federal “anti-energy polices,” like the production cap and Bill C-69, and fast track Northern Gateway Pipeline and Energy East Pipeline projects for pre-approval.

Smith revealed last week that Alberta was refusing to sign on to a joint statement from all other premiers and the prime minister on a plan to respond to the tariff threats, saying the province will not agree to export tariffs on energy and other products.

She was supposed to attend the inauguration of Trump on Monday, but was unable to do so after the day’s events were moved inside due to cold weather. The change in venue left a significant amount of attendees without tickets.

The Premier’s press secretary, Sam Blackett previously said the premier was still planning to attend an event at the Canadian Embassy on Monday.