Premier Eby asks British Columbians to choose local over American products

In a press conference on Tuesday, August 25th, Premier David Eby addressed the new tariffs imposed on Canada from United States President Donald Trump, and asked British Columbians to continue choosing local products. 

The media availability was held at a BC Liquor (BCL) store in Vancouver which, like all BCL locations, has not been stocking American liquor products since March 2025. 

Prior to the failed trade deal with the US, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had asked all provinces, including BC, to end the boycott on American liquor products. Premier Eby held his ground and did not end the boycott when asked. 

Now the trade deal has fallen through and the US has imposed 50% tariffs on several Canadian products. Canada’s response to this is to impose “dollar for dollar” tariffs on American products, equating to around $20 billion in goods.

During Eby’s press conference, he asked that BC residents prioritize buying local products when visiting liquor stores. 

“The BC Liquor stores and BC liquor policy has been one of our key responses to the Trump trade war on Canada and on British Columbia,” said Eby. 

“By choosing not to stock, not to order, American booze, we tried in our own small way here in British Columbia to send a message that would be seen by the president, and it was.”

He noted that it is unfair and unjust that BC forestry is being impacted more heavily by these tariffs than the European Union or Russia. Eby says the American liquor boycott is one way of fighting back against the US in this trade war.  

“Obviously, we’ve seen another attack from the United States, and again, I’m asking British Columbians—if you have a choice, please don’t travel to the United States, choose another place to do your tourism, if you can choose a Canadian product instead of an American product, please choose it,” he said. 

“Right now, Canadian workers from coast to coast to coast need our support. With 50% tariffs imposed by the president on many products, by being our own best customer, we can help support Canadians in every amazing corner of this country we call home.”

Eby also spoke to the two components of Prime Minister Carney’s strategy to fight back against the Americans’ trade war: the new supports for workers that are being rolled out alongside the counter-tariffs. 

“This is a good start—it is important to see and to hear leadership at the federal level say that they’re in this for as long as it takes, and to do whatever it takes to support Canadian workers,” said Eby. 

“We know that British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario are just as proportionally impacted as provinces that make stuff that is sold in the United States. As a result we are disproportionately impacted—our workers are going to need that support.”

Eby noted that in the long-term, the best thing the BC government can do is to build up its workers, its infrastructure and to be less dependent on the United States. 

The premier also voiced his support for the identical and proportionate counter-tariffs Canada will put in place on September 8th, if a new trade deal cannot be reached by then. 

Eby says that there are still options available to Prime Minister Carney he would like to see put in place to protect the Canadian economy and to avoid dealings with US companies. 

“First of all, when your friend kicks you in the back, one of the first rules is you don’t then go and buy $12 billion of fighter jets from that person,” he said. 

“The second is, out of Westport, we ship a huge amount of American thermal coal. The reason it goes out of Westport is because the Americans can’t get it out of any of their own ports, they won’t ship it themselves.”

He added that this is something the federal government had already planned on phasing out by 2030, but he would like to see this ended sooner. 

“We haven’t seen those measures yet, but I’m encouraging the Prime Minister to look at non-tariff measures to respond to what the Americans are trying to do to Canadians,” said Eby. 

Ultimately, Premier Eby encourages British Columbians to do whatever they can to prioritize Canadians and to support one another through these difficult times. 

At the federal level, officials are hopeful that by November’s midterm elections in the US, if not sooner, the American government can overturn Trump’s tariffs on Canada, making life cheaper for people on both sides of the border.