U.S. companies could be barred from Manitoba energy infrastructure work, Kinew says

Steve Lambert · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 11, 2025 12:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says the province's Crown-owned vigor corp could usage its purchasing powerfulness to combat backmost against tariffs imposed by the United States.

Kinew says Manitoba Hydro is expected to walk astir $35 cardinal implicit the adjacent 2 decades connected goods required for attraction and upgrades.

He says countries that whitethorn privation to enactment good with Canada — specified arsenic South Korea — could payment from that, portion countries that don't privation to enactment unneurotic whitethorn not.

Manitoba has not gone arsenic acold arsenic the Ontario government, which has placed a 25 per cent surcharge connected energy exported to the U.S.

Kinew signalled past week that Manitoba whitethorn curtail aboriginal exports of hydroelectricity to the U.S. nether a regularisation requiring furniture support for caller oregon extended powerfulness contracts with firms southbound of the border.

Kinew said helium would similar that U.S. President Donald Trump driblet the tariffs connected Canadian goods, but he's consenting to see restricting American firms from Manitoba Hydro infrastructure projects arsenic retaliation.

"Manitoba Hydro really has tremendous buying power, and that's 1 of the tools we're looking to usage effectively," Kinew said Monday.

"It truthful happens that due to the fact that of what's happening with the Trump tariff threats that a batch of that speech is now, like, 'How bash we propulsion backmost against the Trump administration? How bash we basal up effectively?' But we tin besides usage that successful a affirmative mode to say, 'Hey, countries and companies that privation to enactment good with america — let's bash immoderate deals."'

Manitoba has taken different measures to antagonistic the U.S. tariffs, specified arsenic pulling American intoxicant products from liquor store shelves and taking retired advertisements to impulse radical to bargain Canadian goods.