Opponents from Washington state of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats against Canada are vowing to fight, saying the ongoing trade war has delivered a heavy blow to American border communities.
In a conference call led by Democrat U.S. Senator Patty Murray that included British Columbia Premier David Eby, Murray said regions such as Whatcom County bordering Canada get about 12 per cent of taxable retail income from Canadian consumers.
Murray said the drop in Canadian tourists visiting her state has also resulted in economic uncertainty among ferry operators and in Point Roberts, where residents cannot access the U.S. mainland without travelling through Canada.
Eby said it is difficult to continue asking British Columbians to keep their money in Canada but the U.S. boycotts are necessary in the trade war despite circumstances being "miserable" on both sides of the border.
Earlier this week, Eby responded to statements by the U.S. Ambassador to Canada who called Canadians mean and nasty over their travel and alcohol boycott, saying Canadians would be "proud" to be considered mean for standing up for their sovereignty.
Edmund Schweitzer, founder of Washington-based digital device maker Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, said during the conference call that his company is predicting the tariffs will cost it US$100 million in "unanticipated federal taxes."
Schweitzer said that means each of the 7,000 employees who co-own the company will take a financial hit of US$14,000 from the tariffs.
"President Trump seems to have created the 51st state that he was talking about, which is the great state of uncertainty," he said Wednesday. "And this is affecting all of us."
Murray said she is working in the U.S. Congress to bring Democrats and Republicans to join in the fight to wrestle back the power to set tariffs from the White House and urges other Americans to join the cause.
"Who is responsible for this, and we all need to remember this, is the president of the United States who started this," Murray said. "We are raising our voices to say, 'Enough is enough … stop this."
B.C. is among several Canadian provinces that banned the sale of U.S. alcohol from government-run stores after the trade war began, and industry groups say such sales in Canada have fallen sharply in March and April.
Statistics Canada figures show the number of Canadians returning home by car from south of the border fell to just over 33 per cent in June compared with the same period last year, and return trips by air fell to just over 22 per cent during the same period.
"No one wants this," Murray said of the falling numbers and economic uncertainty. "We did not ask for this. It's been imposed on us. And I think that the premier is making it clear he has to make it painful for the United States.
"That doesn't change our relationship with British Columbia. We've always been friends, allies. We have had challenges in the past, but we talk to each other. We work through it, and that's what we both want at the end of this."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025.
Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
