Premier David Eby announced Wednesday he and Minister of Agriculture and Food Lana Popham will be going on a trade mission to Asia as part of its effort to diversify trade away from the United States amid threats of tariffs on local products.
Eby said the mission will visit Japan, South Korea and Malaysia.
Eby announced the mission at Finest at Sea, a local seafood processor at Point Hope Shipyard in Victoria.
While the mission will include Popham, Eby said it will not focus primarily on seafood and agriculture exports.
Eby said measuring success of the trip will be in the relationships.
"It is to let them know we value their business and partnerships, and we are keen to work with them,” said Eby, adding there is importance in seeking “jurisdictions that are stable.”
Eby did not mention China in his initial announcement, instead focusing on the U.S. relationship vis-a-vis President Donald Trump.
"Our largest trading partner has become increasingly unreliable, so now is the time to expand international markets for B.C. goods and develop deeper bonds with other countries," stated Eby in his press release.
Asked by a member of the media why he did not include China in the mission, Eby said, “We are unfortunately on a two-front trade war.”
Eby said the provincial government is “squeezed between two huge powers in China and the United States” and “the goal is to continue to accelerate” diversification to medium-sized markets.
, for example, the U.S. accounted for 61 per cent, with China at 22 per cent.
But unlike the U.S. at this time, which has only imposed a 25 per cent tariff on all imports that don't comply with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), China has levied a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian seafood and pork, plus a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian canola oil and meal, as well as peas, plus a 25 per cent tariff on seafood and pork.
The trade mission is from June 1 until June 10, and includes: Tokyo and Osaka, Japan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Seoul, South Korea. Premier Eby will be accompanied by Popham and Paul Choi, parliamentary secretary for Asia-Pacific trade, along with unnamed representatives from B.C. businesses and research universities, the government stated in the release.
More than 41 per cent of B.C.'s merchandise exports — totalling approximately $22.4 billion in 2024 — are directed toward Indo-Pacific markets, the government stated.
