Kiersten Enemark

Since the U.S. began imposing tariffs of up to 50% on tens of billions of dollars of Canadian goods. …Forestry has been hit hardest: BC is Canada’s largest lumber producer, and roughly $6.7 billion in exports to the US in 2024 are now caught up in the new tariffs, on top of decades of softwood lumber duties. …Industry groups also flag a serious risk: even without new tariffs, rising trade tension could push American buyers, especially public-sector ones, toward domestic suppliers, squeezing Canadian companies out of U.S. contracts. Premier David Eby responded with urgency, directing Crown corporations and agencies last year to exclude U.S. suppliers from new contracts wherever possible, and then expanded that to existing contracts, too. It’s the right directive: use the province’s purchasing power to back Canadian business when it needs it most. …B.C. still has no legislation, regulation or formal procurement framework requiring public agencies to prioritize Canadian suppliers. [A Vancouver Sun subscription may be required for full story access]