Pierre Poilievre responds to ‘unjustified U.S. tariffs’ in Vancouver

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks during a news conference in Vancouver on Sunday, February 2, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns) (ETHAN CAIRNS/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The leader of the federal Conservative party was in Vancouver on Sunday where held a press conference to reiterate his “Canada-first” position on the U.S. tariff battle.

Pierre Poilievre told reporters, “there is no justification for these tariffs or this treatment” and that “Canada will never be the 51st state.”

He made the comments shortly before the federal government laid out its list of American goods subject to retaliatory tariffs from Canada.

Poilievre laid out a multi-point plan to respond to the blow to Canada’s economy, including building alliances with American workers and businesses that benefit from trade between our countries, targeting U.S. products that can be made in Canada, knocking down inter-provincial trade barriers, and slashing taxes.

“These tariffs are a wakeup call that it is time for us to meet our potential,” he said. “It is time for us to be a country that can trade for itself, that builds homes quickly for its youth, that allows entrepreneurs to succeed quickly and profitably so that success is once again rewarded.”

Inaccurate comments on energy

As he did during his last visit to Vancouver, Poilievre made more inaccurate comments on Canada’s energy exports.

On Jan. 16, Poilievre said that “the Liberals have forced Canadians to sell 100 per cent of our oil and gas to the Americans at discount prices,” and on Sunday he said the in Canada, “we’ve made really dumb decisions to prevent us from exporting our energy to any other countries.”

This is not factual.

The Trans Mountain Pipeline transports oil from northern Alberta through B.C. to its terminus in Burnaby. Some of that oil goes to the United States, but much of it goes to Asian markets. A highly controversial expansion of the route was completed last year, with an increase in overseas exports, as anticipated.

South Korea, India, and China are importing millions of barrels of Alberta oil through B.C., a dramatic surge last year when the refurbished and expanded route opened at its new 890,000 barrel-per-day capacity.

Rallying U.S. allies

Poilievre suggested one of his strategies to battle the unjustified tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, would include “(locking) arms with American economic interests that favour Canada” and forging relationships with swing states.

“We must go to key states that will be up for grabs in the congressional elections two years from now and let their congressmen and senators know they will be running on a bad economic record if their refinery workers lost jobs because Canadian oil can no longer make it to them,” he said.

Poilievre was asked if saw Canada’s relationship with the U.S. as damaged beyond repair in the light of Trump’s repeated suggestions it become the 51st state.

“Our friendship with the Americans is not based on any one politician, it is based on our centuries-long history of trade, of friendship, of common defense,” he replied. “We’re already in a trade war and I believe no one will win. I think both countries will lose, and that’s my message to our American friends: Why?”