Government officials, business leaders seek to reduce trade barriers between provinces

Maritime provinces are looking for new trade partnerships ahead of the U.S. tariffs.

The sun could be rising on a new trade partnership between provinces.

“It has significant potential to grow our economy,” says Colton LeBlanc, Nova Scotia’s minister of Growth and Development.

Forced by President Donald Trump’s tariff talk, Canadian provinces are looking at a possible internal trade strategy to limit the impact of the economic sanctions.

Currently there are several barriers that discourage the flow of goods between provinces.

“This threat is creating a sense of uncertainty for businesses,” Leblanc says. “Any opportunity to strengthen our supply chain, whether it be here in Nova Scotia, making it easier for Nova Scotia businesses to do business in Nova Scotia. If it’s manufactured products or our natural resources to make it across the country, I think that’s a step in the right direction.”

Some politicians and business leaders feel provincial trade should be pursued even if the United States doesn’t follow through with its tariff threat.

“Different provinces with different standards make it expensive for business. If we were to take down some of those internal barriers for trade in Canada, in our own country, we could see a four per cent GDP lift. It’s like right now the equivalent of a 21 per cent tariff on all Canadian traded goods,” says Matthew Holmes, vice president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce

That’s surprisingly close to the president’s threat of a 25 per cent tariff on some of the $6 billion in goods that cross the border every day. a number some officials hope will encourage Trump to change his mind.

“We still believe, and we still hope, that the American government won’t put tariffs and they will understand the importance of the actual integration of our economies,” says Jean-Claude D’Amours, New Brunswick’s minister on Intergovernmental Affairs.

But if they do, D’Amours is calling for people to shop and stay local.

“We can do things differently. We can make sure that we are buying New Brunswick products, we can buy Canadian products, we can stay in New Brunswick, stay in our country for vacation,” D’Amours says.

Trump’s tariffs are set to come into effect on Sunday.