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Alberta's Smith doubles down on diplomatic approach as U.S. tariffs expected Feb. 1

As a new Feb. 1 deadline looms for the U.S. to impose punishing tariffs on Canadian goods, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she is sticking to her diplomatic approach to try to stop them.
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks to the media during the fall meetings of Canada's premiers in Toronto, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Smith is staying the course on her diplomatic approach to try to avert punishing tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump as a new deadline looms. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

EDMONTON — As a new Feb. 1 deadline looms for the U.S. to impose punishing tariffs on Canadian goods, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she is sticking to her diplomatic approach to try to stop them.

But Smith, in a virtual news conference from Washington on Tuesday, said Alberta will have to "wait and see" what the tariffs look like before laying out a response.

"I don't think that there's much point in trying to negotiate this in public with the media,” said Smith, who has been in the U.S. capital to talk with lawmakers.

“It's far more important for us to be thoughtful about it, to see what actually comes through, and then to be able to take a proportionate response.”

She said Trump remains unpredictable.

"We don't know when it's coming in," she said.

“So until we see what it looks like, I don't think we can really know what the Canadian response is going to be."

Trump said late Monday, hours after being sworn in as president, that he is thinking of instituting 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods starting Feb. 1.

He had previously said the tariffs could come on his first day in office.

Also Monday, an executive order from Trump directs federal agencies to study trade issues, including alleged unfair practices by Canada, Mexico and China, with an April 1 deadline.

Smith said Canada must refrain from making retaliatory threats, because she doesn't think the U.S. president "responds well" to them, but that Trump is "enthusiastic" about tariffs as a revenue source.

She said she sees the reprieve as an opportunity to continue to make the friendly case to keep tariffs off the table.

"If (Trump) wants more energy security, then you should be talking about how you can provide energy security, not making the conversation about energy security undermined."

With Trump's vocal support of petroleum production, Smith said pipeline companies are "dusting off old plans" that may have been shelved during the previous U.S. administration.

Smith has pursued diplomacy to address Trump’s main irritants. Trump has called on Canada to beef up border security, boost military spending, and buy more goods from America. He has presented the economic measures as a way to squeeze Canada and make it more amenable to being annexed by the U.S.

She visited Trump at his Florida home earlier this month to make the case for unencumbered cross-border trade and is in Washington this week to tout cross-border energy to U.S. officials and lawmakers.

She has broken ranks with her fellow premiers by dismissing talk of retaliatory threats, including a counter-tariff on Alberta's oil and gas shipments.

That approach has come under fire from critics who say it undermines Canada's negotiating position and that a more confrontational approach is needed to counter an existential threat to Canada’s sovereignty.

On Tuesday, Smith rejected a suggestion her approach was all for naught and said if there's any blame it's on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for failing to build bridges with Trump.

"All I can do is try to repair and build relationships that should have been repaired and built over the last four years," she said.

Smith said she is counting down the days until Trudeau resigns, opening the door to a new Liberal leader who will likely have to quickly face a general election.

The Liberals are set to pick a new leader March 9.

She said it's up to premiers to maintain good relationships with the United States while that leadership question is settled, but that federal ministers also appear to be consistently working to build relationships.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2025.

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press

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