From alcohol to the grocery store: Here’s how Alberta is countering U.S. tariffs

Alberta’s government is taking steps to fight back against the tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed on Canada.At a press conference on Wednesday, Premier Danielle Smith condemned the 25 per cent tariffs on all products from Canada and Mexico, including 10 per cent tariffs on energy, calling them a “betrayal” and a breach of the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USCMA).In response to the tariffs, Alberta will change its procurement focus to ensure government purchases come from Alberta and Canadian companies, as well as those in countries that honour its free trade agreements.The province will also halt future imports of alcohol and VLTs from the U.S. through Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).In addition, the province will help grocers and retailers buy and promote non-U.S. items and work to knock down interprovincial trade barriers.“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 nations in a profound way,” Smith said.The premier stopped short of cutting existing energy exports to the U.S., saying the province doesn’t support the move as it would hurt Canadians more than Americans should the U.S. retaliate.Smith says that until the U.S. comes to its senses, she wants multiple pipelines built to get Alberta energy to coasts to supply Asia and Europe.An update was also provided on the $29-million Interdiction Patrol Team (IPT) to crack down on illegal cross-border activities, including drug and human trafficking. The team is already operational, with 20 members working alongside the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency.Additional security measures include new vehicle inspection stations and training highway workers to identify suspicious activity along the southern border. You might also like:- Canadian grocers share how they plan to ease impact of trade war- Over 40,000 Canadians say Trump should be barred from G7 Summit in Alberta- Canadians are rallying around Mike Myers’ ‘elbows up’ hockey metaphorU.S. President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on all products from Canada and Mexico, including the 10 per cent tariffs on energy, kicked in on Tuesday morning.In a press conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded with 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs against $155 billion of American goods, beginning with taxes on $30 billion worth of products immediately. The list of U.S. goods includes orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, coffee, appliances, apparel, footwear, motorcycles, cosmetics, and more.He says duties will be slapped onto the remaining $125 billion of American products in 21 days.“To my fellow Canadians, I won’t sugarcoat it, this is going to be tough,” said Trudeau.Late Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said there’s a potential to meet “somewhere in the middle” when it comes to adjusting the tariffs on Canada. He suggested carve-outs for some industries are possible.With files from Isabelle Docto