saskatchewan premier scott moe announces provincial response to trump's tariffs
moe said he agrees "begrudgingly" with the targeted tariffs imposed by the federal government, emphasizing the "targeted" nature of ottawa's response.
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saskatchewan premier scott moe announces retaliatory measures in light of u.s. tariffs at the saskatchewan legislative building on wednesday, march 5, 2025 in regina.
kayle neis
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saskatchewan premier scott moe announced a raft of responses to u.s. president donald trump’s tariffs on wednesday — a day after the onset of a north-south trade war.
the saskatchewan liquor and gaming authority (slga) will stop purchasing american alcohol and liquor while the government of saskatchewan will prioritize that all crowns and provincial entities “make every effort to target canadian suppliers,” with a goal of eliminating u.s. reliance.
the slga can still sell u.s. stock that has already been purchased.
there will also be a “very temporary pause” placed on capital projects, moe said wednesday during a news conference at the saskatchewan legislative building.
in addition, the government expects school divisions, municipalities and post-secondary institutions “to adopt similar procurement policies that prioritize canadian goods and services.”
moe said trump’s levies will first and foremost be “felt by u.s. families,” saying there will be pressures at the pump, the grocery store and through job losses as well.
“the proposed counter-tariffs will have a similar effect in canada, on canadian tariffs,” noted moe, who said he “begrudgingly” agrees with the targeted tariffs imposed by the federal government — emphasizing the “targeted” nature of ottawa’s response.
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“credit to the federal government for not going dollar for dollar.”
in terms of ratcheting up pressure on exports to america, moe said he would not support imposing greater levies on potash or crude going south.
despite the emotions and volatility prevalent in the early days of this trade war, moe insists “we’re all on the same side” in regards to both countries having shared interests as part of “north america.” he also emphasized that the nature of tariffs on integrated economies will cause pain in the u.s. as well as canada.
“you’re going to see that very same pain and job loss being experienced south of the 49th parallel,” said moe.
should additional tariffs on steel and aluminum come into effect later this month, moe said the province was “working very closely” with industries in the crosshairs.
as for why it took a full day to respond to the u.s. tariffs, moe said there was still “a lot in motion” on tuesday, adding that the delay was “of little significance.”
part of these changes will affect municipalities, as cities set about finalizing their budgets and amending procurement.
“we’re really trying to be a good partner and take that team canada approach,” said regina mayor chad bachynski, speaking before moe’s announcement.
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bachynski said the city’s response includes limiting its expenditures on u.s. products, which currently equal about one per cent of the overall spend. regina is also looking to follow suit alongside other municipalities in not allowing u.s. companies to bid on city contracts.
“my understanding is we do have a pretty local-first approach to our procurement,” said bachynski. “so i don’t believe we have a lot of adjustment to make there, but we are looking at it as a city.”
trump’s tariffs came into effect early tuesday morning, with canada responding in kind on the same day. the u.s. imposed 25-per-cent tariffs on all canadian goods, with energy imports receiving a lower 10-per-cent levy. canada responded through 25-per-cent retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of american goods, with an additional $125 billion to be added in 21 days.
other provinces were quick to react on tuesday, when all but saskatchewan and alberta offered local responses to the u.s.-initiated trade war. some of the measures announced by canadian provinces included: canada-first procurement, taking u.s. liquor off shelves, ending deals with american companies, and providing support to affected businesses.
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ontario premier doug ford went a step further, threatening to cut off all power exports to the u.s. while saying he would do so “with a smile on my face.”
the saskatchewan ndp criticized moe’s response on wednesday, claiming in a press release that “he continues to cower behind closed doors in a secret meeting — keeping saskatchewan people in the dark while jobs and entire industries hang in the balance.”
ndp leader carla beck said moe being the last premier to address his province was “weak leadership.”
“scott moe is a day late and a dollar short,” said beck on wednesday afternoon. “he is willing to allow this province to be laggards.”
aleana young, ndp shadow minister for jobs and the economy, again made the case that the legislature should be in session to deal with the u.s. threat. saskatchewan’s mlas are set to reconvene on march 19, which is also when the provincial budget is expected to be presented.
as for the challenge of planning a provincial budget under the current circumstances, finance minister jim reiter said: “it’s very difficult. everybody’s grappling with that across the country right now.”
— with files from larissa kurz
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