Nunavut premier looks to reducing internal trade barriers

Nunavut Premier John Main wants to see the territory trade more within Canada, saying the trade war with the U.S. could end up being a “lengthy dispute.”

The U.S. has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on close to $30 billion of Canadian goods, including dairy, alcohol and cement. Canada will soon launch counter tariffs that target $27.6 billion worth of American goods in response, to come into effect after Labour Day.

A report released earlier this summer by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses gave Nunavut the lowest score in the country when it comes to reducing barriers to internal trade, mainly due to hunting and fishing protections in the territory. 

Main acknowledged that “we have a lot of work to do” when it comes to reducing barriers to internal trade between the territory and other jurisdictions.

“One of the biggest things we can do to respond to these threats is to make sure we’re building up Canada and that we’re investing in developments in our own country,” the premier said Tuesday at the legislative assembly in Iqaluit.

“We do see a lot of benefit in better trade within Canada.”

There are no specific territorial supports in place yet for Nunavummiut who might be impacted by the trade war, Main said, adding his government is still monitoring potential impacts.

The federal government meanwhile has committed $7.6 billion toward supporting workers and businesses. Much of that money will go toward increasing the duration of Employment Insurance payments and grants businesses can use to retain workers.

Main said he’s been in discussion with leaders in the mining industry about how they might be impacted.

The cost of living in the territory is his primary concern.

“[Nunavut] is already the most expensive place in the country to run a business, to raise a family, to survive in daily life,” Main said Tuesday as he spoke alongside Trade Minister Craig Simailak. 

Simailak said advancing internal trade between the territory and the provinces will be the subject of discussions during the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Committee meeting he’s scheduled to host later this week in Iqaluit. Federal Internal Minister Dominic LeBlanc sits on the committee alongside premiers and ministers from across the country.

“We’re trying to strengthen the One Canadian Economy that our prime minister has been working on,” Simailak said about Mark Carney’s commitment to remove internal trade barriers and boost the Canadian economy through prioritizing major infrastructure projects.

“For the most part, all jurisdictions have been putting aside their party politics and seeing what we can do to help make Canada better together, and that’s what I’m expecting this Thursday during the internal trade conference,” he said.