Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan has proposed legal action to allow cruise ships to bypass British Columbia ports en route to Alaska.
The move comes in direct response to BC Premier David Eby’s recent announcement of new fees on commercial trucks traveling from Washington state through B.C. to Alaska on the Alcan Highway.
Premier Eby said the legislation enabling these tariffs that target Alaska is a necessary tool to protect BC’s economic interests.
Despite Sullivan’s political threats to the cruise ship industry in Canada, Eby said BC has the right to respond to economic pressures from the US government.
“The consequences for Alaskans are a big deal,” Eby told reporters, and said he expects Alaska to “respond in kind” if BC moves forward with truck tariffs.
Sen. Sullivan, in a March 7 appearance on the Mike Porcaro Show on 650-KENI, called Canada’s response a “dangerous game” and indicated he will seek either legislative changes or an executive order from President Donald Trump to exempt cruise ships from the Passenger Vessel Services Act, a law that, like the Jones Act, requires foreign-flagged vessels to make a foreign port call between US destinations. Removing this requirement would allow cruise ships to sail directly to Alaska, potentially bypassing BC ports altogether, if they choose.
“Two can play this game,” Sullivan warned, speaking to host Mike Porcaro. “We’re going to work hard on having our cruise ships bypass your ports, and that’ll help our economy tremendously.”
“We don’t want to use this tool. We like Alaskans. We think they’re great. We like Americans. We think they’re great. They’ve just got a lousy president,” Eby stated to reporters, as reported by Canadian Press.
However, the loss of cruise ship stopovers in Victoria and Vancouver could deal a severe blow to the province’s economy. The cruise industry is a major contributor, with more than 300 ships expected to bring approximately 1.2 million passengers to BC ports this season. If Alaska succeeds in bypassing these stops, it could cost Western Canada billions in tourism revenue.
Sullivan reinforced his warning in his radio interview, stating, “Canada, you don’t want to mess with Alaska. And if you do, we are going to work hard on having our cruise ships bypass your ports, and that will help our economy tremendously. It’ll help our tourism industry tremendously, and it’ll really hurt their tourism. They’re playing a dangerous game here. I hope they back down.”
Eby, however, was unmoved by the threats.
“Trade wars only hurt people. They don’t benefit anybody. This is our message to Donald Trump. It’s our message to all Americans. We don’t want this fight. We didn’t sign up for it, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to arm ourselves,” Eby said to Canadian Press.
Having cruise ships bypass BC would be of great benefit to us, this guy has his priorities backwards.
You know nothing about the jones Act, do you?
Why pick a fight with Canada? They have always been good neighbors. It was Wanna-be King Trump who started a trade war with them and BTW picked a fight with Europe.
Just haven’t been paying attention, have you?
Neighbor is correct. Good is highly debatable
Canada has been dumping cheap construction products in our markets for years forcing out American business. We don’t make anything anymore.
And what about +/- 300% Canadian tariffs on USA dairy products? Good neighbors? Free trade is not the same as Fair trade.
I guess you forgot the time in 1997 when they held the Malaspina, an Alaskan state ferry at gunpoint. Or the time in1995 when they held another state ferry hostage
Sounds like, for the most part, Canadians & Alaskans can remain civil vis-a-vis political posturing in this and SHOULD do so…. Not forgetting that the Trump presidency is simply a blip in the screen.
The cruise ship industry is a racket in every direction.
They heard them tourists’ about and only to the ” right ” places.
They are never of the leash. Only certain jewelry stores, restaurants, gift shops ever see them.
I never had a single one enter my business in Ketchikan.
Either you are paying the price, or you are in on it.
I see Sullivan wants to make sure too that no dollars get extracted from the tourist wallet before they get to Alaska…
Now why would he care? There is a lot of money in the tourist pocket.
And there are a lot of people who might make a donation here and there just to be helpful…
I’d bet Sullivan has received some attention.
This is a racket.
As a licensed USCG vessel master and a 50 plus yr Ak resident.. Mr Sullivan you know not what you ask… look at the bigger picture and think about the overall US Maritime position.
What? Trump knows more than you do. Who cares about your 50 years as a licensed maritime expert.
There is no trade war. We carry canuckistan on our economic back. Saint Trump wants to even things up, and the politicians there don’t like it.
There is no point to the Jones Act.
Orrrrr Senator Sullivan from Ohio you could help all Alaskans by getting of both passenger act and jones act and while you are at it recognize the harm of tariffs on everyone and work to remove them. What a tool.
Sullivan’s proposal is a step in the right direction but it doesn’t go far enough. Cruise ships, tourists, and tourism would benefit by this but the rest of us living in Alaska and Hawaii would benefit even more if the Jones Act itself was abolished.
Trump’s actions turned their national elections upside down. The Liberals are now likely to win after being down by nearly 30 points in early February. Even the Conservative party candidate has had to come out swinging against Trump. What a mess he is making, both here and with our allies. Justin Trudeau is surely laughing because he ultimately won.
The Jones Act and similar laws are outdated relics that allegedly protect “America’s Maritime Industry” but in reality protect only certain unions and equally outdated ports, shipwrights, and antiquarian working rules. Eliminate the laws that either force or prevent calling at any port of call…if it’s economical, the ships will stop anyway
If Senator Sullivan is open to exempting cruise ships from the Passenger Vessel Services Act, he should certainly be open to exempting Alaska from the Jones Act you can share your thoughts with him here: ‘https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/contact/email’
Jeremiah,
The Canadians have always been parasites on the U.S. economy, the mere established fact that 90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S. border is extremely revealing of the Canadian economy. Further, it shows the real intent and actions of the Canadian people. So Jeremiah, it is your liberal marxism that favors Trudeau who is a confirmed communist and the “lets give Canada everything they want, we don’t need to protect the filthy American people.” Additionally, I have visited Canada on numerous occasions and found the Canadian people snobbish, self-entitled, hostile towards Americans, and downright rude. I was visiting Vancouver when the Canadians held cruise ships hostage back in the 1990’s. Believe me, the Canadians are not friendly at all, worship Britain like no other country, and could care less about Americans. I say bypass Canada on all cruise ships and any other way we can. It is a total myth that the Canadians are friendly, and that Marxist Americans like yourself care anything about our country’s welfare. Now that I think of it, why don’t you move to Canada, the people there are just your “cup of tea” as they say in Britain.
Done for now.
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