B.C. premier predicts more tariff exemptions as Trump realizes impact of trade war

B.C. Premier David Eby speaks to reporters at the legislature on March 5, 2025.

B.C.’s premier said Wednesday he anticipates more tariff exemptions will be announced in the coming days as the U.S. president begins to realize “the real-life impacts for American families” of the trade war.

David Eby started a media availability Wednesday with a joke about the rapid-fire developments and ongoing uncertainty amid Donald Trump’s trade war.

“We’re halfway to the weekend, and that’s just six more Trump tariff news cycles before Saturday,” he said.

A mere 24 hours after imposing punishing, across-the-board tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian goods, Trump brought in a 30-day exemption for the “big three” automotive manufacturers.

Eby said he expects similar announcement about more industries and goods will follow.

“Trump has realized in fewer than 24 hours how integrated our two economies are. And I expect more and more announcements about exemptions and reducing tariffs, because it is inevitable that the damage is going to accumulate in the United States, to American businesses, to American families, with higher prices,” Eby said.

“These tariffs are a profound economic mistake for the United States.”

However, the premier said that piecemeal adaptations or industry-specific exemptions are inadequate for the province and the country and that the goal is to see them eliminated entirely.

“We will work with the prime minister and with Canadians from coast to coast to coast to fight these tariffs,” Eby said.

“We will continue to push back to ensure that Americans know and understand the depth of our integration and that pain caused to Canadians will be met with a fierce and strong response.”

Eby reiterated the importance of eliminating barriers to interprovincial trade, and in diversifying the province’s export markets – saying the province has relied too much and for too long on the U.S. because of the relative ease of doing business with B.C.’s cross-border neighbours.

“We can’t be in a position of pretending like everything’s normal when the president is attacking Canadian families and our economy with the aim of annexing Canada to the United States as a 51st state. Everything is not normal,” he said.

“We just can’t look across the border like we used to.”

The premier again called on British Columbians to forego travel to the U.S. and to purchase Canadian and local products.

Meanwhile, he says the province is making contingency plans to reduce its reliance on U.S. energy in an attempt to mitigate the impact of the tariffs as well as the potential for Trump to take retaliatory action – likening it to trying to plan for and respond to the impact of natural disasters.

“Unfortunately, now it’s contingency planning around a man-made disaster – made by the president of the United States.”