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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.
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39 Articles

Creston Valley AdvanceCreston Valley Advance
+8 Reposted by 8 other sources
Lean Left

B.C. loses $1.5B GDP boost by building ferries in China, report finds

Building four new BC Ferries ships in China will cost roughly $1.5 billion in lost GDP and cede the equivalent of 10,000 person-years of employment, according to a new report prepared for a group of unions pushing for future ferries to be built locally. The report also estimates that $413 million would have ended up in government coffers, offsetting construction costs. In May of 2025, BC Ferries selected a Chinese state-owned shipyard as the win…

The Toronto StarThe Toronto Star
+24 Reposted by 24 other sources
Lean Left

Building ferries in B.C. would help in battle against U.S. tariffs: report

VICTORIA - A new report says building ferries in British Columbia would help the province weather the harsh economic trade winds coming from the United States.

·Toronto, Canada
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Castanet broke the news in Kelowna, Canada on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
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