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Building ferries in B.C. would help in battle against U.S. tariffs: report
The report says local shipbuilding would help protect the provincial economy from U.S. tariffs and keep billions in ferry contracts at home.
A report from the Centre of Future Work released Thursday urges British Columbia to build ferries locally, arguing domestic construction would help the province weather economic trade winds from the United States.
This study arrives 15 months after Ferries contracted China Merchants Weihai Shipyards for four vessels, a decision that saved at least $1 billion but sparked significant public outcry.
Eric McNeely, president of the Build Them Here coalition, says the province must align procurement with its 'buy local' messaging while pushing back against tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
McNeely highlighted the taxpayer cost, saying, "If buying local matters, when I go to the grocery store, it has to matter, when BC Ferries is spending billions of dollars, including taxpayers' dollars, on vessels."
Labour economist Jim Stafford, a co-author, emphasized the report aims to unlock the shipbuilding industry's economic potential through domestic investment rather than relitigating past international purchasing decisions.