Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, says that exporting raw materials worth billions of dollars makes American companies trillions of dollars rich.
- Trump said that he would put a 25% tax on Canadian goods. Smith replied.
- Brings attention to Canada’s important role in sending raw products to the U.S.
In a strong response to President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to put a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has defended Canada’s trade surplus with the US, saying that it is due to the billions of dollars worth of raw materials that are sent south, which makes American companies and workers rich.
On Wednesday, Trump made some controversial comments on Truth Social. He asked why the U.S. “subsidizes” Canada and said that many Canadians want their country to become the 51st state to get armed security and lower taxes.
Smith, on the other hand, decided to talk about the key problem of the trade imbalance instead of Trump’s rude comments.
“That’s a good question about the trade imbalance with Canada. Dear President Trump (@realDonaldTrump): What’s the reason for this? “Canada, especially Alberta, sends billions of dollars worth of raw materials to your U.S. refineries and factories.
Your great American companies and workers refine these materials and sell them all over the world, including back to Canada (we are by far your biggest customer),” Smith wrote on Twitter.
- About 4.3 million barrels of oil and gas are sent to the U.S. every day from Alberta alone.
- The United States gets 60% of its crude oil and 85% of its power from Canada.
- Canada also sends the most steel, metal, and uranium to the United States of any country. 34 important metals and minerals that the Pentagon wants to get.
Smith said that these cheap raw materials from Canada are important for millions of American jobs and businesses that make trillions of dollars for the US economy.
After Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the day before that Trump’s planned tariffs would be a “disaster” that could hurt U.S. stock markets, she said the same thing.
- Every day, goods and services worth approximately $2.7 billion ($3.6 billion) cross the border.
- For 36 U.S. states, Canada is their main trading market.
Even though Trump’s words may be hurtful, Smith’s calm reaction shows how the economies of the two countries are connected and how Canada’s natural resources greatly contribute to American wealth.
