Premier David Eby is on his way to Asia for a 10-day trade mission that will take him to Japan, Malaysia and South Korea, with a focus on industries ranging from aerospace and clean energy to entertainment.
The trip is part of the province’s push to diversify British Columbia’s trade relationships in response to uncertainty created by the Trump administration’s tariff war.
The spring session of the legislature wrapped up this week with the NDP government pushing through two controversial bills on infrastructure and renewable energy. Bills 14 and 15 faced broad opposition from First Nations, who raised concerns about a lack of adequate consultation and the potential for government overreach.
Regional Chief Terry Teegee of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations was scheduled to join the delegation for part of the trade mission, but the assembly issued a statement Friday saying he was withdrawing over the passage of Bills 14 and 15.
“The decision to withdraw from the trade mission reflects the profound damage inflicted on the B.C. Crown-First Nations relationship by Premier Eby’s government,” the statement said.
Speaking at Vancouver International Airport on Saturday, Eby said he would have preferred Teegee to be part of the trip but remains committed to strong Indigenous partnerships.
“What is clear to me is that chiefs across the province are engaging with international businesses and doing business in a way that is not just lifting up their own communities, but in a way that is lifting up the province and the entire country,” Eby said.
The trade mission means Eby will miss the First Ministers’ Meeting in Saskatoon on Monday. Deputy Premier Niki Sharma is expected to attend the meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney instead.
Eby said in a statement that he spoke by phone with Carney on Friday.
“I explained B.C. has several projects that are shovel-ready and we’ve got the legislation needed to quickly knock down internal trade barriers, buy Canadian first and build the infrastructure we need,” he said, adding that they also discussed B.C.’s recommendations for bail reform.
Joining Eby on the Asia trip are Agriculture Minister Lana Popham and Paul Choi, parliamentary secretary for Asia-Pacific trade. The trade mission will start in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, before continuing to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Seoul, South Korea.
Japan and South Korea are British Columbia’s third- and fourth-largest trading partners, respectively, behind China and the United States.
