Rob Lantz outlines how P.E.I. government will respond to U.S. tariffs on 'sad day for Canada'

Gwyneth Egan · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 04, 2025 11:35 AM EST | Last Updated: March 4

Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz's government has launched the archetypal signifier of its U.S. tariff effect programme — including reviewing each American authorities contracts and removing American products from liquor store shelves. 

Speaking astatine a quality league Tuesday afternoon, Lantz said the state volition enactment section businesses arsenic it makes a basal against the commercialized warfare launched by U.S. President Donald Trump overnight arsenic he imposed 25 per cent tariffs connected virtually each Canadian goods.

"It's a bittersweet time for Prince Edward Island, a bittersweet time for Canada — I'd besides adhd that it's a bittersweet time for the United States," Lantz said. "P.E.I. has been a just and reliable trading spouse for decades… but present we look a situation we didn't inquire for."

Lantz said the tariff effect program will supply targeted alleviation to businesses, enactment exporters and assistance industries accommodate to the evolving situation.

"Islanders request certainty. Businesses request to cognize what time looks like, what adjacent week looks like, what the months up volition bring.

Lantz was sworn successful arsenic premier connected Feb. 21 — conscionable implicit a week ago — aft erstwhile premier Dennis King resigned.

About 80 per cent of P.E.I.'s full exports spell to the U.S., and King had warned earlier helium stepped down that immoderate tariff could person a "catastrophic" effect connected the section economy, impacting the province's quality to walk successful areas specified arsenic housing, societal assistance, acquisition and wellness care.

"Donald Trump has thrown this connected apical of the heap of issues we person to woody with," Lantz said Tuesday. "It's mean Islanders who volition yet carnivore the brunt of each of this."

Specific measures to respond to the concern outlined by Lantz and 4 of his furniture members were: 

• The state volition treble the fig of commercialized missions operated by Innovation P.E.I. and offer export companies crossed the Island enactment to articulation those missions. 
• Work volition proceed connected strengthening caller markets successful different parts of Canada, arsenic good arsenic Europe, southeast Asia, Mexico and the Caribbean. 
• An export enhancement and diversification fund will supply non-repayable assistance to sectors affected by the changes, and volition screen up to 60 per cent of eligible costs to a maximum of $32,000. 
• The Department of Agriculture will beryllium expanding investments successful the merchandise and marketplace improvement program, the strategical manufacture maturation inaugural and the concern improvement program. 
• All American products are being removed from liquor store and outlet shelves, successful a process that began Tuesday morning.

As well, Finance Minister Jill Burridge said officials are reviewing procurement practices to place whether determination are Canadian oregon planetary alternatives to American products and services. 

"We volition beryllium relentless successful seeking alternatives to immoderate American contracts we clasp portion ensuring the prudent usage of payer dollars," she added.  

The province's promotional deal with the NHL is "absolutely nether review" arsenic portion of that process, Lantz told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin successful an interrogation Tuesday evening. 

Burridge said P.E.I. has had a fig of bully years fiscally and the authorities is successful bully signifier to negociate this uncertainty, but it is inevitable that the tariffs volition interaction P.E.I.'s economy, wages, exports and GDP. 

She said the grade of the impact depends connected however agelong the tariffs stay successful place, however agelong American customers proceed to bargain Canadian contempt the higher prices, and however overmuch Island businesses tin merchantability to different provinces and countries. 

While the full magnitude of wealth being spent connected enactment programs was not stated successful the quality conference, Burridge said the state is gathering a contingency money into its budget. 

Bridge tolls volition enactment connected table

While pushing for solutions connected the planetary commercialized beforehand , Lantz said barriers that beryllium successful our ain state can't beryllium ignored. 

Lantz said his superior connection to the premier curate and provincial leaders when they conscionable volition beryllium to extremity span and ferry tolls that helium said spot an unfair load connected Island businesses erstwhile it comes to competing with mainland companies.

That said, helium said his absorption volition enactment connected corporate enactment that the leaders tin instrumentality arsenic a group. 

"P.E.I. is simply a portion of Team Canada. We're each in," the premier said. "I person replaced my P.E.I. lapel pin for the Canadian flag. I deliberation we request solidarity crossed this country."

Darlene Compton, P.E.I.'s caller curate of economical development, innovation and trade, gave much details astir assistance for Island companies. She said Innovation P.E.I.'s commercialized missions this twelvemonth volition link buyers, sellers and distributors successful places similar Canada, Europe, South East Asia, Mexico and the Caribbean.

The commercialized mission's calendar tin beryllium recovered connected the Innovation P.E.I. website. 

Through Innovation P.E.I., Compton besides said, the state is besides launching the export enhancement and diversification fund, Compton said. The money volition supply non-repayable assistance to the assemblage affected by the changes, and volition screen up to 60 per cent of eligible costs to a maximum of $32,000. 

These costs volition screen everything from marketplace research, selling and promotion to marketplace strategies and question costs for commercialized shows and different events, she said.

The state is besides rolling retired a moving superior programme to provide relief loans to businesses affected by tariffs, Compton said.

"We cognize this is simply a fluid concern but we volition advocator each time for this to travel to an end," she said.

'Troubling day' for agriculture, seafood sectors

"Today is simply a troubling time for our superior industries," Agriculture Minister Bloyce Thompson said, adding: "Markets are not made overnight."

He said Prince Edward Island agriculture accounts for 10 per cent of the Island's GDP, noting: "Last twelvemonth we sent implicit $900 cardinal worthy of products to our friends successful the U.S."

Thompson noted that the murphy manufacture successful peculiar has been done "political charged commercialized barriers successful the past," including the discovery of murphy wart successful immoderate P.E.I. samples that led to U.S. borders being closed to murphy imports successful November 2021.   

At the extremity of his remarks, the curate said helium had a connection for Island farmers: "You're a resilient bunch… we'll tackle this the aforesaid mode we did past time, together."

Zack Bell, P.E.I.'s curate of fisheries, tourism, athletics and culture, encouraged seafood businesses that mightiness not typically be commercialized missions to instrumentality portion successful 2 large upcoming expos. 

Bell said the provincial authorities is committed to supporting Island businesses done this play of uncertainty, and knows determination volition beryllium a request for workforce support, moving superior and diversification. 

He spoke of the value of aquaculture and sportfishing to the Island, calling those industries "not conscionable an economical pillar but besides a mode of life." 

Bell said helium encourages Islanders to enactment the section seafood manufacture and adhd P.E.I. seafood products to their meals, adding: "Buy section and bargain often."