Alberta Premier Danielle Smith launched her own salvoes Wednesday in the looming trade war with the U.S.
The government, agencies, school boards, Crown corporations and municipalities have been directed to not buy and goods or services from U.S. companies.
Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis has been ordered to suspend the purchase of U.S. alcohol (worth $292 million in 2023-24) and video lottery terminals (VLTs) from American companies until further notice, Smith said at a news conference in Medicine Hat.
The province will also help grocery stores and other retailers expand their efforts to clearly label Canadian-made goods so consumers can send a message to U.S. President Donald Trump with their wallets. A "Buy Alberta" campaign will be rolled out in the next few weeks to help spur new buying habits.
Smith said the U.S. tariffs – 25 per cent on all Canadian goods and 10 per cent on energy – are unjustified and a clear breach of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) free trade agreement Trump signed in 2020.
"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," she said.
"It is a betrayal of a deep and abiding friendship."
Alberta's non-tariff actions will not include taxing or restricting oil exports, which are worth $100 billion.
The U.S. is sure to retaliate, which will hurt Canadians, especially the oil-importing provinces of Ontario and Quebec, more than Americans, she said.
Without a pipeline, such as the cancelled Energy East project, reducing or taxing oil heading south would be "utterly self-defeating," she added.
Calling Alberta's energy resources its "trump card," Smith said that they are among the planet's largest oil and natural gas resources.
"It is significantly larger and far more accessible than the quickly declining oil and gas reserves located in the United States.
"While the U.S. president wishes to acknowledge it or not, the United States not only needs our oil and gas today they are also going to need it more and more with each passing year once they notice their declining domestic reserves are production are wholly insufficient to keep up with the energy demands of U.S. consumers and industry, let alone having anything left over to export as they do so today."
It is in both countries' interest to double the amount of oil Alberta sends south and the province has been approached with several pipeline proposals, she said.
"But how can Alberta actively partner to expand pipeline access to the United States when its president just slapped a 10 per cent tariff on our energy products and is devastating the other industries in our province and country with a 25 per cent tariff…"
The new economic environment reinforces the need to eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers and build pipelines to carry Alberta oil – production of which the province hopes to double – east, west and north and to ports that can move it around the world.
“My government will enter into free trade and labor mobility agreements with every province that is willing to do so,” she said. “The goal is to have no exceptions, just free trade and free movement of Canadian workers right across our province.”
Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis said a new border-based Interdiction Patrol Team has already had success. It is part of a $29-million investment that will eventually have 51 carbine-armed sheriffs with dour dog teams patrolling the border with Montana.
Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors is investing $15 million over two years to build three new vehicle inspection stations near the border.
Highway maintenance workers will also be trained to spot and report suspicious activity as they go about their jobs.
