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The escalating trade dispute between Canada and the United States is increasingly influencing Quebec’s provincial election campaign, with the major parties offering competing visions of how to protect jobs and businesses from the impact of tariffs.
The issue came to a head on Tuesday after federal retaliatory tariffs against the United States prompted a backlash from party leaders across the province.
Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Leader Christine Fréchette unveiled a series of measures aimed at protecting Quebec’s economy from potential fallout, saying the province must stand firm in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies.
“We are heading into difficult times and Quebec will not back down in the face of Trump,” Fréchette said.
Among his proposals, Fréchette called on municipalities, organizations and consumers to prioritize Quebec-made goods.
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“I urge municipalities, organizations, as well as citizens, consumers, to buy more Quebec products,” he said.
Fréchette also proposed changes to the public procurement process in Quebec that would prohibit US companies from bidding on certain provincial contracts, creating more opportunities for Quebec and Canadian companies.
However, Liberal Party Leader Charles Milliard argued that the CAQ’s plans were not enough.
“Most of the ideas he announced this morning are actually ideas I proposed last week, they’re just less ambitious,” Milliard said.
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, whose party continues to lead in recent polls, also criticized the government’s approach.
St-Pierre Plamondon said the PQ is better positioned to defend Quebec’s interests as the trade dispute escalates.
“Who has the best team and the best intellectual understanding of what’s going on to defend Quebec’s interests with respect to tariffs,” he said, pointing to his party’s economic expertise.
The PQ leader also raised concerns about Ottawa’s handling of the dispute, arguing that companies in Quebec were not consulted adequately before the federal government imposed retaliatory tariffs.
“If Quebec’s interests are sacrificed and not taken into account in the measures they propose, that’s a problem for us. And that’s a problem for our economy,” he said.
Business groups largely supported Ottawa’s decision to retaliate against US tariffs, and warned that the uncertainty was creating challenges for companies.
Véronique Proulx, president of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, said the federal government has taken appropriate steps to defend Canadian interests, but businesses affected by the dispute may need additional support.
“There’s not a lot of certainty for companies at this point but we still think the federal government is in a good position,” Proulx said. “[It is] did many things right to defend our interests.”
The trade dispute is expected to remain a key campaign issue as party leaders prepare for a series of election debates in the coming days and weeks, giving voters a clearer view of how each party plans to respond to rising economic tensions with the United States.
