REGINA — With the potential threat of new tariffs from the U.S., the NDP is calling on the province to take action.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump released a letter detailing plans to enact 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods imported into the U.S. come Aug. 1.
“Donald Trump is trying to crush our economy so he can make us the 51st state,” said Aleana Young, NDP Jobs and Economy Critic.
Trump cited "Canada’s failure" to stop fentanyl from coming into the U.S. as the reason for these new tariffs.
Young said data shows Canada isn’t a significant source for fentanyl movement.
With potentially more tariffs, Sally Housser, NDP’s Energy and Resources Critic, said Premier Scott Moe and the province can’t keep rolling over for Trump.
Housser said Saskatchewan should reverse its decision to allow American booze to be sold on the province's shelves.
She also called on Saskatchewan to restore strong pro-Saskatchewan and pro-Canadian procurement policies.
“No more quietly favouring U.S. companies while local firms struggle to keep up.”
Tariffs enacted by the U.S. have already hurt Saskatchewan and Canadian jobs.
Young said 50 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum will likely impact hundreds of jobs in Western Canada.
There are also dozens of local truck drivers losing their jobs, with this uncertainty hurting the attractiveness of capital investment, she noted.
In a statement released on Friday, Moe said these tariffs should have minimal impact on Saskatchewan as most of the province's products have remained exempt from said tariffs under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Despite this, Moe noted “all tariffs and trade disputes hurt businesses, workers and consumers on both sides of the border. He added, “We will continue to engage with U.S. officials to encourage free and fair trade with the U.S., while also continuing to expand Saskatchewan’s export markets around the world.”
The White House later confirmed that USMCA goods are exempt from the tariffs, while about 95 per cent of Saskatchewan exports to the U.S. are compliant.