'It won't be easy': Premier Scott Moe braces for tariff impacts to Saskatchewan

'It won't be easy': Premier Scott Moe braces for tariff impacts to Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Opposition Leader Carla Beck calls for U.S. alcohol to immediately be taken off shelves

Premier Scott Moe says Saskatchewan and Canada are going to be hit hard by tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Moe said he's backing Canada's response to the new 50 per cent tariffs.

Moe said the prime minister made the right call to not accept an "unfair and unreliable" deal after trade talks broke down, according to a Saturday statement on social media.

Moe also said he supports Mark Carney's decision to enact dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs on targeted U.S. products, starting Sept. 8.

How trade negotiations fell apart

Now 50 per cent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods are in effect. They were issued early Saturday after extended negotiations aimed at reaching a trade deal crumbled Friday night.

Carney told reporters that Canadian negotiators walked away from the talks after the Trump administration made "unacceptable" demands, including restrictions on Canada's ability to make trade deals with other countries.

Mark Carney doesn't stop the United States from driving negotiations over a cliff

Carney says trade deal became untenable when U.S. 'asked too much and offered too little'

Moe said that was the right call.

"Decisions about who Canada trades with must be made in Canada," Moe said in his statement.

"Saskatchewan, more than any other province, is diversifying its trade to other countries and that will not be compromised."

Under the Trump administration's new policy, the 50 per cent tariffs will apply to hundreds of products worth more than $28 billion, from cement to wine and plywood and hockey sticks.

The trade deal was also expected to lower existing U.S. tariffs on the Canadian aluminum, steel and automobile sectors, sources told CBC.

Moe expects businesses to be hit hard again

Moe said the tariffs are a direct violation of the CUSMA trade deal and that the new tariff fines will be detrimental to people and businesses on both sides of the border.

"It won't be easy," Moe said in his statement.

He said people can expect to see the cost of living go up again in Canada and that we should be doing everything we can to avoid, reduce and remove tariffs.

American tariffs on Canadian goods take effect after trade talks fall apart

Moe said he believes the federal government did that, but in the end, he said the U.S. administration chose to stick with this “failed economic policy and Canada must respond accordingly.”

He said that it’s “a clear indication that the current U.S. administration can not be trusted to live up to its own trade deals.”

Opposition pushes for removal of U.S. alcohol

In her own statement, Opposition Leader Carla Beck said on Saturday that this is the time to fight back, starting with immediately removing American alcohol from Saskatchewan shelves.

She said it was a mistake to re-shelve it in the first place as Scott Moe did last year.

Moe’s statement did not address U.S. liquor sold in Saskatchewan.

CBC asked the provincial government for a response Saturday but has not yet heard back.

Halyna Mihalik is a journalist and weather specialist for CBC Saskatchewan. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Regina. Halyna enjoys stories about advocacy, local politics and rural communities. Send Halyna news tips at halyna.mihalik@cbc.ca