Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is calling for stronger Canada–U.S. relations, with a focus on addressing unfair Chinese trade practices as President-elect Donald Trump pledges to impose tariffs on Canadian goods.
“We can strengthen our partnership even further in the coming years by securing our shared border and fighting unfair Chinese trade practices that harm workers in both of our countries,” Smith wrote in a post on the social media platform X on Jan. 7.
In a press conference that same day, Trump said he would use “economic force“ to merge Canada with the United States after being asked about using military power to annex Canada. He had previously floated the idea of making Canada the ”51st state” after meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November to discuss his proposed 25 percent tariff on all Canadian goods unless Canada stops the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the United States through its borders.
Trump has cited lax border controls that allow illicit drugs and illegal migration to flow into the United States as reasons for the tariff.
Smith has previously echoed concerns raised by Ontario Premier Doug Ford about Mexico inviting Chinese investment, noting that this was undercutting the manufacturing sector in both the United States and Canada.
In response to Trump’s tariff threat, Ford said Canada and the United States, as allies, should focus on addressing China as the primary issue, pointing to China’s practice of relabelling its goods as Mexican products and reselling them in the North American market. “China is the problem,” he said during a Jan. 7 interview with Fox News.
Last October, Canada imposed a 100 percent surtax on Chinese-made electric vehicles and a 25 percent surtax on steel and aluminum products from China. Then-Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland stated that the measures were aimed at levelling the playing field for Canadian workers and industries harmed by Beijing’s unfair trade practices, including its “intentional, state-directed” overcapacity and subsidies.
The premiers are planning a trip to Washington to discuss trade and tariff issues. Some federal ministers are also making their own trips there to discuss trade. The federal government has announced a $1.3 billion plan to boost border security to try to meet Trump’s request to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the United States from Canada, in a bid to avoid the 25 percent tariffs.
