No indication Trump will back down on tariffs, but retaliating not the answer: Smith

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she received no indication from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend that he plans to back down on implementing hefty tariffs on Canadian products.

But Smith says cutting off oil and gas exports to the south in retaliation, which is something the federal government hasn’t ruled out, isn’t feasible.

She says the federal government should never “threaten” something it can’t afford to do.

Smith visited Trump at his Florida home over the weekend as a guest of Canadian businessman and television personality Kevin O’Leary.

She says the incoming president’s biggest irritant remains what he calls the United States’ “trade deficit” with Canada, and says she expects Trump’s promised 25 per cent tariffs to remain in effect until it’s solved.

Smith says she will be attending Trump’s inauguration next week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2025.

Lisa Johnson and Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press