With Donald Trump having won a second term as U.S. president, several premiers are looking to strengthen trade and energy ties with Canada’s southern neighbour.
Trump was declared the projected winner of the U.S. presidential election early on Nov. 6. He had secured 292 electoral votes by publication time, and was leading in the remaining states of Arizona, Alaska, and Nevada.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was the first among the premiers to congratulate Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, on their victory.
“Alberta and the United States have a long standing trading partnership that has strengthened both economies and improved quality of life in both jurisdictions,” she wrote on the social media platform X on Nov. 6.
“Alberta is a critical part of North American energy security as the single largest supplier of crude oil and natural gas to the United States—providing [twice as] much as Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Iraq combined. We look forward to reinforcing Alberta’s ties in the United States and working together with the new administration on this partnership.”
President-elect Donald Trump is joined by his family as he speaks to supporters after winning the presidential election, in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 6, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
Smith previously said that whether the Republicans or Democrats won the presidential race, both parties could potentially introduce protectionist policies that could harm or restrict trade with Canada. She said she would focus on amplifying areas of common ground, including the development of oil pipelines.
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden revoked the permit that Trump had granted for the Keystone XL pipeline, which was intended to transport Alberta oil to the U.S. market.
The project, originally approved in 2008 by former U.S. President George W. Bush, faced more than a decade of legal battles and shifting policy decisions spanning multiple administrations before the company spearheading the project pulled the plug. TC Energy announced its decision to abandon the Keystone XL pipeline project in June 2021 after consultations with the Alberta government.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed optimism about the topic of trade with the incoming Trump administration, particularly in areas such as critical minerals, electric vehicle batteries, and nuclear energy.
“I am optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead for more trade and co-operation between Ontario and the United States,” he wrote on X.
Additionally, Ford congratulated the senators, representatives, and others elected in the U.S. race, highlighting the close trade ties between his province and various U.S. states.
“Ontario is the number one export destination for 17 U.S. states and the number two export destination for another 11. I look forward to working with U.S. leaders at the federal, state and local levels to strengthen our trade and economic growth,” he said.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said he also hopes to build stronger ties with the United States.
“Congratulations to President-elect Trump. Americans have sent you to do a critically important job for them,” he wrote on X. “British Columbians are close neighbours with family, relationships and businesses on both sides. Looking forward to working collaboratively on our shared priorities.”
Quebec Premier François Legault did not extend congratulations to Trump, but said the election result should be respected. But he warned of negative consequences for Quebec and the Canadian economy.
“My main concern in the coming months will be Quebec’s economic interests. Unfortunately, we must expect that there will be actions taken by Mr. Trump and his team that could be negative for Canada’s economy and Quebec’s economy,” he said in French during a Nov. 6 press conference.
“I think we have to tell ourselves the truth, there are jobs at stake, so we will have to be very strategic, especially in key sectors, where Quebec has a lot of exports to the United States.”
At the same time, Legault voiced concerns about a potential influx of immigrants to Quebec from the United States, noting that the province’s current population of 600,000 temporary immigrants has already exceeded its capacity to accommodate them. The premier’s concern comes in light of Trump’s pledge to carry out the “largest deportation operation in American history.”
“We are going to call on the federal government ... to protect our borders,” he said.
Andrew Chen
Author
Andrew Chen is a news reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.
