Eby tells government to cancel U.S. contracts- including magazine and software subscriptions - 'where viable'

Andrew Kurjata · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 10, 2025 6:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Subscriptions to U.S. magazines and newspapers are connected the chopping artifact arsenic British Columbia's authorities looks to trim its dependence connected American companies.

The announcement was made by Premier David Eby Thursday arsenic portion of a scope of measures aimed astatine cutting each imaginable U.S. contracts held by the provincial government, including its ministries, wellness authorities and Crown corporations.

Eby has ordered a reappraisal of each contracts with the extremity of eliminating immoderate non-essential purchases of American goods oregon contracts with American companies, "where viable."

"We've gotta beryllium prepared to basal connected our ain 2 feet," helium told reporters, saying B.C. cannot beryllium taxable to the whims of U.S. President Donald Trump.

He told reporters that his authorities had already made the determination not to prosecute a declaration with Starlink, owned by Trump state Elon Musk, to supply agrarian net work successful the province.

Eby said the president has taken nonstop purpose astatine British Columbia by expanding levies connected softwood lumber, a large operator of the provincial economy, astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic different countries person been granted a partial intermission connected tariffs.

"Where's our 90-day pause?" Eby asked. "The unsocial and special, derogatory, insulting and targeting attraction from the president is inexcusable."

His directive besides says authorities should intermission information successful U.S. manufacture associations, cancel subscriptions to American publications and non-essential software, and debar non-essential question to the United States.

Eby says it volition beryllium up to each authorities assemblage to determine erstwhile it's viable to marque a change, but the anticipation is to substitute Canadian products and services astatine equivalent outgo wherever possible.

He said successful immoderate cases a alteration whitethorn not beryllium due owed to the further costs associated, comparing the prime to a Canadian household trying to bargain section groceries but inactive remaining connected budget.

"We're not going to incur melodramatic further costs successful bid to execute this," helium said.