A recent threat by the Canadian federal government to impose restrictions on crude oil exports in response to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs has caused concern in Canada’s oil-producing province of Alberta.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made it clear this week that her province would not support such a move.
Trump issued the tariff threat shortly after winning the November election. He proposed a 25% tariff on all imports, including crude oil, to address the U.S. trade deficit with its key partners, such as Canada and the European Union.
Canada is the largest supplier of crude oil to the U.S., so it was expected that Trump’s threat would prompt a swift response. The Canadian government in Ottawa has threatened to retaliate with measures such as export duties or restrictions on the volume of goods shipped to the U.S. This led to a strong response from Premier Smith.
“Federal government officials continue to publicly and privately discuss cutting off energy supplies to the U.S. and imposing export tariffs on Alberta energy and other products,” Smith wrote in a post on X. “Until these threats stop, Alberta cannot fully support the federal government’s strategy for dealing with the proposed tariffs.”
Smith also stated, “Alberta will not agree to export tariffs on our energy or other products, nor do we support a ban on exports of these products. We will take any necessary actions to protect Albertans’ livelihoods from such harmful federal policies.”
Some analysts have questioned whether Trump would actually go through with the tariffs, as it could raise fuel prices in the U.S., conflicting with his campaign promise to lower energy costs.
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