Alaskan politicians table resolutions opposing a Canada-U.S. trade war

Article content

A handful of Alaskan state-level politicians are opposing Donald Trump’s “restrictive trade measures that would harm the unique Canada-U.S. relationship” with recent joint resolutions.

Article content

Article content

The identical Senate Joint Resolution No. 9, sponsored by Senator Cathy Giessel, and House Joint Resolution No. 11, tabled by Representative Chuck Kopp — both Republicans — make a case against the U.S. President’s real and threatened tariffs by highlighting the achievements of “one of the most successful international relationships in the modern world.”

Article content

Currently making their way through both levels of government, the legislative measures celebrate that cooperation and object to steps that might “negatively affect our integrated economies.”

In Alaska, resolutions passed by the House and the Senate don’t become law, but signal an intent to amend, enshrine or recognize something of importance, be it the state’s constitution, a landmark or an organization.

Proposed bill would keep Trump from funding military invasion of Canada

In this case, the “mutually beneficial” ties that bind are being honoured by the legislators.

From a financial standpoint, in 2023 close to $600 million in goods annually came into Canada — 59 per cent of which was ore, slag and ash — with $753 million going the other way, mainly in fuel oil exports to meet Alaska’s energy needs, according to data cited from the Canadian Consulate in Alaska.

Trade and investment within Canada supports over 20,000 Alaskan jobs, and the state is home to almost four dozen Canadian-owned companies that employ 4,350 residents.

On three occasions, the documents remind Trump of the “importance of the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement” he negotiated and inked during his first term in office.

While he once touted the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) —  as it’s known in Canada — as a “terrific deal,” it’s now a major source of his ire in trade relationships with the neighbouring countries.

Article content

Article content

In a committee sponsor letter for No. 9, Giessel “humbly” asks Washington to not follow through, for Alaska’s sake.

“While supportive of the desire to be more self-sufficient, the reality is; Alaska finds itself without a land border to the contiguous lower 48 States, without reliable sources of building materials, without reliable sources of energy, without reliable sources of food, and entirely reliant on imports to the state, many of which originate from Canada or pass through Canadian territories or waters,” she wrote.

While introducing her resolution to the Republican-controlled Senate, Giessel said if Alaska were to require immediate “military defence, it’s the Canadians,” that answer the call and highlighted the joint interception of Russian and Chinese war planes near Alaska last summer, per the Alaska Beacon.

Speaking with Alaska’s News Source, she said the state has more coastline than the entirety of the U.S. combined but yet no naval base from which to defend it.

“We have nothing on the Bering Sea. So Canada, their Air Force responds. Their Coast Guard responds if we need help over on our side. We’re all connected in the Arctic and of course, we are very closely positioned to some challenging neighbors,” she said.

Article content

Her resolution, first introduced to the Special Committee on Arctic Affairs, was unanimously accepted and sent back to the Rules Committee last week.

In the Republican-led lower house, Kopp’s resolution had its first reading and has been referred to the Resources Committee.

Craig Weichel, Canada’s Seattle-based Consul General to the U.S., parrots many of the documents’ same talking points in matching letters of support, but also defends Canada’s efforts to bolster border enforcement efforts to crack down on fentanyl.

Copies of both resolutions were sent to Trump and outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, cabinet ministers and members within their respective governments, and multiple high-ranking military officers on both sides.

Meanwhile, in British Columbia last week, Premier David Eby said the province will introduce levies on U.S. commercial vehicles travelling through B.C. on the way to Alaska if Trump follows through on his promised April 2 tariff implementation date, per the Vancouver Sun.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

Article content