British Columbia Premier David Eby said Monday his province will go ahead with an American ad campaign targeting U.S. President Donald Trump’s “unfair and absurd” lumber tariffs, despite Trump blowing up trade talks with Canada over Ontario’s anti-tariff ad.
“It is absolutely essential that we talk to Americans about the implications of tariffs, about the fact that trade policy in the United States right now is governed not by logic, not by economics, not by relationship, but by something else entirely,” Eby told reporters in Victoria, B.C.
“We are going to exercise all of our ability to get the word out, including advertising. We reserve the right to do that.”
Eby announced last Thursday that B.C. will roll out digital ads in the U.S. next month “to explain who wins and who loses” after Trump slapped an additional 10 per cent tariff on softwood lumber, which is already facing steep anti-dumping duties.
Hours after Eby’s social media posts, however, Trump said he was terminating trade negotiations with Canada over an Ontario government TV ad that the White House said “misleadingly edited” former U.S. president Ronald Reagan’s 1987 speech on tariffs and trade.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he would pull the ad starting Monday, allowing the spot to air during the first two World Series games this past weekend. Trump then responded by saying he will impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian goods due to the ad not being pulled sooner, but has not said when the tariff hike will take effect.
Eby told reporters Monday he “unambiguously” supports the Ontario ads, but noted the B.C. campaign is on “a decidedly different scale” by focusing on softwood lumber.
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The B.C. ads, Eby said, will make the case that Americans will end up paying more for lumber used to build or renovate homes because of Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
“Russia has better access to the U.S. market right now for softwood than Canada does,” the premier pointed out, repeating comments he made earlier this month and which appear to be central to the new ad campaign.
“Russia — that launched a war of aggression against Ukraine, the whole world sanctioning them … they are able to sell their softwood to the Americans at a lower tariff rate than Canadians are. This kind of nonsense and absurdity needs to be brought to the attention of the American people and decision-makers.”
Eby said he’s asked Industry Minister Melanie Joly and other federal officials to come to B.C. for an emergency meeting on supporting the forest industry in the face of U.S. tariffs. He added B.C. is also opening a new office in the United Kingdom to promote its forestry products in Britain and the rest of Europe.
“We will continue to work to get the word out about the unfair and absurd treatment of the United States … but we can’t control the man in the White House,” he said.
“All we can do is control our own destiny by ensuring that we’re working with trade partners that value the resources and the work that Canadians bring to the global economy.”
For his part, Ford said earlier Monday he will “never apologize” for the $75-million ad campaign despite Trump’s actions.
“Oh my goodness, did we get our money’s worth,” Ford told reporters at Queen’s Park, calling it “the most successful ad in the history of North America” and “the best ad that ever ran.”
Ford said his intention was not to “poke the president in the eye” but to warn the American public that Trump’s trade war is “going to cost” them.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia on Monday, did not say if he thought the ad was a mistake.
“In any complicated, high-stakes negotiation, you can get unexpected twists and turns and you have to keep your cool during those situations,” he said. “It doesn’t pay to be upset. Emotions don’t carry you very far.”
Eby acknowledged federal and provincial officials are “part of a team” that he hopes can work together to support sectors like forestry affected by U.S. tariffs.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew also defended the Ontario ad last week, saying Trump’s reaction proved it was effective and urging Ford not to back down.
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