N.B. premier directing public institutions to stop buying American amid trade war

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has ordered the province’s public sector to stop buying American products when Canadian substitutes are available, saying the move is in response to the latest round of U.S. tariffs.

As well, Holt announced Thursday that her government will ban the purchase of U.S. goods and services for government contracts valued at more than $5 million, starting Oct. 1. That limit will cover about 90 per cent of government contracts handled by Service New Brunswick, she said.

The measures come after U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a ban on imports of some Canadian products, including alcohol and motorcycles, and new 50 per cent tariffs on other products.


“We can’t control what President Trump does, but we can control what we do here in New Brunswick,” Holt said.

“We’ve seen this movie before. When you put a tax on products coming across the border, someone pays that bill, and too often, that somebody is a family sitting around their kitchen table trying to make ends meet.”

On another front, Holt said her government will determine if it has the authority to prevent Americans from obtaining fishing and hunting licences, as well as staking mining claims.

“This is a negotiating tool that creates a significant response among … influential Americans,” she said, referring specifically to hunting and fishing licences.

“And we also know that New Brunswickers love their moose licences, and if we can get a few more of those into the hands of New Brunswickers, I think they’d appreciate that opportunity.”

The premier also announced a long list of compensation, training and employee retention programs for New Brunswick businesses affected by the trade war. She said the province will also launch a market diversification strategy, as well as a renewed buy-local campaign.


“When you have the choice, we’re asking you to choose New Brunswick and Canadian products,” Holt said.

In February 2025, Holt directed the provincial Crown corporation NB Liquor to stop buying U.S. alcohol and remove all American products from its shelves, as did most other provinces. At the time, the New Brunswick government also started reviewing its procurement policies.

On Thursday, Holt said that in the 2025-26 fiscal year, her government cut its spending on U.S. contracts from $34.4 million to $16.4 million. That reduced the amount of contracts going to American suppliers from 1.4 per cent to 0.7 of the $2 billion spent on contracts.

In January, the province starting selling off its remaining stock of U.S. booze, but Holt announced Thursday that NB Liquor would stop marketing American brands and begin giving priority to Canadian products.

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, a national trade group, said it supports buying local but said the priority should be de-escalation and a return to a “stable, predictable trading relationship.”

“Any response should be carefully targeted to avoid raising costs or further disrupting the integrated supply chains that support workers and businesses on both sides of the border,” said Dennis Darby, the organization’s president and CEO, in a statement.

This report by Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2026.



— By Tori Fitzpatrick in Halifax

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