British Columbia Opposition Chief John Rustad has discovered a carbon tax he likes, proposing such a levy on U.S. thermal coal shipped out of provincial ports as a solution to strain the White Home to not impose recent tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber.
Rustad mentioned the tax on U.S. coal might be a “tool to fight back” on softwood tariffs and duties proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has additionally proposed tariffs on all Canadian exports.
“We need to be able to create the environment to have a deal with the Americans. We can’t carry on like this on softwood lumber,” Rustad mentioned on Monday.
Rustad was ejected from the previous BC Liberal occasion in 2022 after questioning the position of carbon dioxide emissions on local weather change and has lengthy been a critic of B.C.’s personal carbon tax.
A stack of coal on the Port of Vancouver in August 2014. (Robb Douglas/CBC)
On tariffs, he and the B.C. Conservatives had beforehand mentioned B.C. ought to keep away from retaliating and as a substitute concentrate on rising B.C.’s economic system.
Duriing query interval within the B.C. legislature, Premier David Eby complimented the B.C. Conservative chief for in search of methods to retaliate in opposition to the tariff menace, calling it a “significant departure.”
Premier David Eby says taxing coal passing by B.C. ports, just like the Port of Vancouver, might be problematic. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
However Eby mentioned taxing U.S. coal travelling by B.C. ports on its solution to different export markets would pose main challenges.
“It’s an export good that goes through a federally regulated port, and we can’t place export taxes on products like that,” Eby mentioned.
Concept of taxing coal beforehand proposed
The concept of taxing thermal coal shipments in response to U.S. tariffs has been floated earlier than in B.C.
In 2017, then-premier Christy Clark proposed a levy including about $70 per tonne of coal exported by B.C. ports in response to skyrocketing tariffs on softwood lumber exports on B.C.
Clark’s general response to the softwood lumber dispute was deemed reckless and irresponsible by then-NDP chief John Horgan.
Softwood lumber has been a flash level between Canada and the US for many years.
America has utilized anti-dumping and countervailing duties on softwood merchandise, whereas Canada has taken its arguments to the World Commerce Group and challenged the duties below each NAFTA and the Canada-United States-Mexico Settlement.
Final week, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar mentioned mixed U.S. duties and tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber may improve to greater than 50 per cent.
WATCH | Ravi Parmar pushes again in opposition to softwood lumber tariffs:
B.C.’s forests minister pushes again in opposition to Trump tariff threats in California
B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar was in California this week on a commerce mission, making the case in opposition to tariffs, which might be layered on high of current softwood lumber duties and might be devastating for B.C.’s already struggling forestry sector. As Katie DeRosa stories, officers in California say Canadian lumber will likely be key to their wildfire-rebuilding efforts
Rustad distinguished between retaliating in opposition to the People with tariffs and making use of a “graduated carbon tax” that might be elevated till B.C. obtained a softwood lumber deal.
He mentioned 18 million tonnes of U.S. thermal coal was shipped by Vancouver, however the province doesn’t use it.
Roberts Financial institution Terminal is pictured from Delta, B.C., in January. Rustad claims that over 18 million tonnes of coal are shipped by B.C. ports. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
“Until such time as the unfair and unwarranted American duties on our softwood are removed, we need to be ready to hit the Americans where it hurts,” Rustad mentioned in a press release.
In the meantime, the governing NDP referred to as for unanimous endorsement for a movement condemning Trump and backing the nationwide plan for “strategically targeted retaliatory action.”
The movement was handed — however not unanimously — in voting late Monday.
5 no votes all got here from B.C. Conservative members: Kelowna-Lake Nation-Coldstream’s Tara Armstrong, Vancouver-Quilchena’s Dallas Brodie, Surrey South’s Brent Chapman, Peace River North’s Jordan Kealy and Chilliwack North’s Heather Maahs.
