Eby says U.S. economic integration 'last thing' B.C. wants, ahead of White House trip

BC balks at US integration

Photo: The Canadian Press

B.C. Premier David Eby listens to a question from media during a news conference in Vancouver, on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says "the last thing" the province is considering is further economic integration with the United States, as he and other premiers prepare for a White House meeting with President Donald Trump's advisers.

Eby says that instead B.C. is "looking for other customers" for everything from aluminum to seafood.

He says the premiers have had a series of "really positive discussions" with Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., as they seek to head off Trump's threatened tariffs.

The Council of the Federation, which represents all provincial and territorial premiers, says that due to the White House meeting, all other engagements were cancelled for Wednesday afternoon.

Eby said earlier that the common theme in the meetings so far is that elected representatives from all parties understand the importance of the relationship between the United States and Canada, as well as the objectives.

But he says "it's a puzzle" for British Columbians why the U.S. would, for example, place a tariff on aluminum that they cannot get elsewhere.

Eby says Canada will never be the 51st state as Trump has suggested, but there is a lot to be discussed with the U.S. about working closely together on transnational organized crime "or whatever it is the president is interested in."

He says the two countries don't have to fight and cause economic damage to each other.