REGINA - Saskatchewan political leaders and many residents are breathing a sigh of relief as Canada apparently has escaped the brunt of President Donald Trump's tariffs.
In an announcement at the White House, Trump declared it Liberation Day and imposed a heavy set of tariffs on countries around the world. But Canada was not hit by these latest new tariffs, largely because of exemptions under the USMCA agreement.
In the European Union this week, Premier Scott Moe issued this statement:
"While we are still seeking confirmation on the details of today’s tariff announcement, it appears that no further tariffs were imposed on Canada today. We remain concerned about the previously announced tariffs on Canadian steel and lumber, and will continue to engage with the US to have these tariffs removed.
"For now, it appears that Canada’s approach of a coordinated, strong and measured response while continuing to engage with US government officials at all levels has been successful. Saskatchewan will continue to make the case that free and fair trade benefits our citizens on both sides of the border as we work to increase our export markets in the US and throughout the world.
"Our government will continue to make life more affordable for Saskatchewan people through income tax reductions and the complete elimination of the carbon tax."
Speaking to reporters at the Legislature, Opposition Leader Carla Beck acknowledged that "so far it looks like Canada has been left off the list of countries that are going to have a tariff applied to exports to the United States."
"But it also is clear that this roller coaster is not necessarily over yet. If there is a pause, I think it is time for Canadians at every level to double down on taking matters into our own hands, to be investing in infrastructure here in this country, to be investing in research, expanding markets. We cannot find ourselves in this situation time and time again where we are glued to our televisions, allowing the President of the United States to dictate so much of what is going to happen here in our country. This has been a wake-up call. It continues to be a wake-up call, and we cannot let this crisis pass without doing what, frankly, we should have been doing as a country for a long time. It is building pipelines, increasing rail capacity, increasing connectivity across the energy grid, improving port capacity, investing in research, investing in our communities here, and reducing our reliance on exports to the United States, expanding trade markets, increasing value-add production here at home."
Beck also said it would "be foolish, frankly, for any of us to take this pause today as a signal that we can let our guards down." She said the tariff threat has already put a damper on investment and on what they are selling.
"We can't find ourselves in this situation again, where so much of our economy is dependent on who or who is not on the prop that the American president holds up in the Rose Garden. This has to be a wake-up call for all leaders to come to the table to drive towards solutions and do this quickly."
