Atlantic premiers hold the line on retaliatory measures, citing tariff uncertainty | Globalnews.ca
Premiers in the Atlantic region say that despite Canada being left out of the latest round of global U.S. tariffs, they need to hold the line in the face of growing economic uncertainty.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10 per cent baseline tariff on imports from most countries, but a White House fact sheet said goods covered by the free-trade deal between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico were exempted.
Trump also said he is going ahead with previously announced 25 per cent tariffs on automobile imports starting Thursday, which will add to existing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.
In a statement released late Wednesday, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said Canada may have been spared the worst-case scenario, but thousands of residents in the province will still be affected by Trump’s trade policies.
“We will work with those who remain impacted on both an individual basis and larger-scale programming basis, as needed,” said Houston. “This could mean loans, grants, support for diversification or whatever. We will work with you to find the best support for your circumstance.”
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The provincial government included a $200-million reserve fund to help businesses affected by foreign tariffs as part of its 2025-26 budget.
Houston also said retaliatory measures already taken will remain, including the review of non-essential contracts with U.S. suppliers, increased highway tolls for commercial U.S. vehicles, and the removal of American alcohol from Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. stores.
“The message from this experience remains and we have heard it loud and clear — putting too many eggs in one basket is never a good idea,” the premier said. “This is why we will work hard to ensure that Nova Scotia becomes more and more self-reliant.”
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said Wednesday night that the economic uncertainty of the past months isn’t going away, adding that her government will continue its boycott of U.S. goods and services.
“You don’t treat your neighbours like this,” she said of the U.S. actions.
Holt said Canada’s apparent reprieve this time was the culmination of months of building relationships with U.S. counterparts in order to get the message out to Americans about the tariffs’ negative impact on the economy.
“I think it’s a combination of making visible to Americans how integrated our economies are, showing them how much Canadians buy from the U.S., as well as the critical nature of the products that we sell to them, for them to make their economy work,” Holt told reporters.
About 92 per cent of New Brunswick goods go to the United States, she said, but the provincial government has “been doing a lot more engagement” with other countries to sell New Brunswick goods, Holt said. For example, officials are in conversations with countries in Asia for seafood opportunities and in Europe for other exports.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2025.
— With files from Hina Alam in Fredericton
© 2025 The Canadian Press
