U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to honour much of a trade treaty he signed with Canada is an "important win," says Premier Danielle Smith.
In a Facebook post shortly after Trump announced sweeping international tariffs, Smith noted that "it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations.
"It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian Federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. Administration.
"This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. Administration for months," the premier posted.
Trump's decision means most goods sold into the U.S. from Canada will have no tariffs applied, a list that includes energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and many other Canadian goods.
"There is still work to be done of course," says the premier. "Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed.
"The efforts of Premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs on a go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.
"I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point."
The premier pins some of the blame for the trade chaos on the "disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast track national resource corridors, get out of the way of resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower."
About 97 per cent of Canadian oil products 鈥� 87 per cent of that from Alberta 鈥� are exported to the U.S. That country is also the biggest market for Alberta agricultural products. Canada-wide 75 per cent of beef exports 鈥� most from Alberta 鈥� go to the U.S.
At a news conference for an ninfrastructure announcement, Smith said Alberta needed to use pipelines to get Alberta oil to ports where it could be sent to Asia and Europe and "crowd out some of the less reliable partners around the world.
"I just think that's going to be a good way to demonstrate that we're supporting our allies and providing energy security."
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi took a more cautious tone.
鈥淲hile we received a reprieve on some things versus other countries, this is no time for victory laps. What was announced today will hurt a lot of Albertans and a lot of Canadians.
"It will hurt a lot of workers. It will hurt a lot of small, medium and large businesses. It will cripple Canadian industries.
鈥淚nstead of a victory lap, it鈥檚 time for us to rededicate our efforts to ensure we are in a strong position going forward. That means Alberta must be working with Team Canada, including partnerships with the federal government and the other premiers to craft a thoughtful, rational, sharp strategy in the face of these tariffs."
Nenshi said Canada needs to build an "economic fortress of a 40-million-strong internal market" and to deal strategically with the U.S. "to ensure we are more important to them than they are to us" and to build global markets for Canadian exports.
He called on governments to protect workers and businesses that will be hit hard by Trumps' trade war.
In a strategy he called "turning a shield into a sword," Nenshi said, "We need to go on the offensive and start recruiting people from the United States and around the world to conduct research here, to work in our health-care system, and to build great companies right here in Alberta.
鈥淭his is going to take commitment. It's going to take purpose. And it鈥檚 going to take a government that can work with others to ensure we are building a stronger Alberta and a strong Canada.鈥�
