Province hits back at U.S. tariffs with toll hike, alcohol ban and more

CITYnews halifax / By Dan Ahlstrand

Nova Scotia announced a series of actions in response to the imposition of American tariffs on all Canadian goods entering the U.S. market.

Premier Tim Houston posted on social media Tuesday morning calling President Donald Trump “short-sighted” and that Nova Scotia will immediately limit access to provincial procurement for American businesses. The U.S. will no longer be able to bid on provincial contracts while the province actively explores options to cancel existing contracts and reject current bids.

Houston also said that the province will double tolls at the Cobequid Pass for commercial vehicles from the United States, effective immediately.

Related:

• Checking in on our border plan, as U.S. tariffs come into effect
• Here’s what tariffs are and how they work
• Local impacts of looming U.S. tariffs highlighted in new report

In addition, the premier directed the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation to once again remove all U.S.-made alcohol from shelves, effective Tuesday. He said this was an impactful response last time that had a significant influence on American producers who rely on Canadian markets.

“I can tell you that we worked hard to avoid a repeat of Trump’s tax. We know tariffs are bad for people and businesses on both sides of the border,” Houston wrote on X. “Unfortunately, some people need to touch the hot stove to learn, and while we cannot control or predict their behavior, we can control how we respond.”

Houston called the measures significant, emphasizing the importance of Nova Scotians standing together, united, and strong.

Report shows how hard Halifax could be hit

The provincial capital might not be as impacted by the tariffs as other cities across the Maritimes, according to a report.

The latest comes from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, detailing the state of vulnerability for the top 41 cities across the country, detailing that 58 per cent of Halifax’s exports make its way across the border.

Of those 41, Halifax is listed as 35th, one of the cities feeling a lower impact. This is in part due to the eastern province’s trade relationship with Europe.

In 2024, Halifax accounted for $845.2 million of goods exports to the U.S., accounting for two per cent of the municipality’s GDP.

However, provincially the fishing industry is nervous, due to the “broad-reaching” impacts, Kris Vascotto, executive director of the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance, previously told CityNews.

“We ship between 40 and 45 per cent of $2.5 billion in wild fish and seafood exported out of Nova Scotia annually to our trade partners south of the border,” Vascotto said. “So, basically, that trade flow is now going to have a surcharge attached to it and we’ll have to determine whether customers are going to continue being willing to pay for that surcharge.”

What that could look like in the short term could be disruptions with products, but he’s uncertain if that could translate into job losses or suspensions.