Alberta pauses some of its fight-back plan against the U.S. amid tariff dispute

Dale Nally shakes hands with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith after Nally was sworn into cabinet as Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction in Edmonton on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government is pausing the procurement policy it announced more than a month ago to fight U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

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Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said since the province’s retaliatory measures were first announced in early March, Trump’s administration has put a hold on further tariffs.

“In the spirit of diplomacy Alberta has decided to also pause any further escalations,” he said in a statement.

Citing a “broken trust” with America more than a month ago, Smith said Alberta would ensure the government, along with agencies, school boards, municipalities and Crown corporations, would not purchase goods and services from U.S. companies.

Nally confirmed the United Conservative Party government will continue with its ban on buying American liquor and video lottery terminals until a new North American free trade agreement can be renegotiated.

Alberta’s partial walk-back comes amid a surge of support from Canadian consumers leaving American products on the shelf in favour of goods from Canadian businesses.

Earlier this week, Alberta officially kicked off an campaign encouraging consumers to “buy local.”

Agriculture Minister R.J. Sigurdson said that now is the time to buy made-in-Alberta products.

“The next time you are grocery shopping or go out for dinner or a drink with your friends or family, support local to demonstrate your Alberta pride,” he said earlier this week.

The tariff trade war continues to evolve and impact sectors across the country, including steel, aluminum and auto manufacturers.

Other Canadian goods imported under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known as CUSMA, remain spared from tariffs, though imports outside the pact have been hit with 25 per cent levies, including 10 per cent for energy. 

The Canadian government has retaliated with its own counter-tariffs, and other provinces have responded with non-tariff countermeasures, including cutting off American alcohol sales to provincial retailers.

Rhiannon Hoyle, Alberta’s Opposition NDP jobs, economy and trade critic, told reporters Wednesday that the UCP putting the procurement policy on pause showed a lack of leadership and won’t help local businesses.

“They should be supporting Albertans, supporting Team Canada. Instead, we have this government supporting Team Trump,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2025.

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press