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B.C. Premier David Eby and Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon are headed to India in less than a week on a trade mission to promote local businesses and industries amid a backdrop of political uncertainty and tense international relations.
Eby said at a news conference Tuesday that the delegation from Jan. 12 to 17 will deepen relationships at a critical time, as India is expected to soon become the world’s third largest economy.
Officials will visit government and business leaders in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Bengaluru (Bangalore).
B.C. is India’s largest trade partner in Canada. In 2024, bilateral trade between India and B.C. was $2.1 billion, representing 25 per cent of Canada’s exports to India, according to Kahlon.
Eby said the trade mission is particularly important in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Creating opportunities for the forestry sector will be a particular focus of the mission, as Eby noted the industry has been hard hit by tariffs. The delegation will also advocate for the clean energy, mining and tech sectors.
Kahlon said B.C. has 12,000 tech companies and has the fastest growing life sciences sector in the country.
Eby said a recent trade mission to Asia resulted in significant projects, including LNG Phase 2 which is expected to reach a final investment decision this year.
He said the project, owned by a coalition of countries including Korea, Japan and Malaysia, as well as state investment companies from those countries, would represent the “largest private sector investment in Canadian history” if finalized.
Concerns about India’s alleged involvement in Nijjar murder
Eby said he remains “profoundly concerned” about the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Canadian Sikh separatist shot and killed in Surrey, B.C., and the accusation from then-prime minister Justin Trudeau that the Indian government was involved.
Four men have been charged with the murder, and Eby said he has confidence in the criminal process underway.
He said it is the federal government’s job to work with the Indian government “on issues of shared concern,” while it’s B.C.’s role as a “subnational government” to look after British Columbians, including by creating jobs in sectors struggling as a result of tariffs.
“We have challenges with the United States; we still work with the United States. We have challenges with China; we still work with China,” Eby said.
Public investment in refinery, not new pipeline: Eby
Eby also acknowledged U.S. President Donald Trump’s intervention in Venezuela by capturing president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and accusing them of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
But Eby disagreed with Albertan Premier Danielle Smith, who responded to the situation by calling for an expedited pipeline through B.C.’s North.
Instead, Eby advocated for increased investment into the Trans Mountain pipeline, which is not operating at capacity, and suggested tax dollars would be better spent on a refinery.
“I don’t understand why, if we’re talking about massive public investment into supporting Albertans in this fragile global time, we can’t talk about supporting all Canadians with oil and gas products that are made right here at home.”