Article content

B.C. Liberal Leader Christy Clark retaliated against the United States on Wednesday for its penalties on Canadian softwood lumber by proposing a ban on U.S. thermal coal from B.C.’s ports.

Clark, acting as premier during the middle of an election, wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to encourage the ban. B.C.’s ports fall under federal responsibility, so it would ultimately be Ottawa’s decision, though Liberal officials insisted the province could enact some type of unspecified levy on coal shipments as well.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or B.C. Election 2017: Christy Clark calls for ban on U.S. thermal coal from B.C. ports Back to video

Clark said she’d been considering the move for some time, but didn’t want to propose it during softwood lumber negotiations because it might antagonize the Americans.

“We had an obligation to be good trading partners with our trading partners in the United States,” she told reporters at a Catalyst Paper mill in Surrey.

“They are no longer good trading partners with Canada. So that means we’re free to ban filthy thermal coal from B.C. ports, and I hope the federal government will support us in doing that.”