Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan has warned Premier David Eby that the United States could cost the British Columbia economy "billions" if it follows through on a threat to route cruise ships away from ports in the province.
Republican politicians in the state floated the move as retaliation to Eby's proposed toll on Alaska-bound traffic travelling through BC.
"It is a bit of a dangerous game for some of these Canadians to do that," Sullivan said of Eby's tolls during an interview on Anchorage radio station KENI.
"You know, Canada, you don't want to mess with Alaska. If you do, we're going to work hard on having our cruise ships bypass your ports, and that'll help our tourism industry tremendously, and it'll really hurt their tourism."
He explained that if the United States passes a law saying foreign-built cruise ships don't need to stop in a non-American port during domestic journeys — which as of now they must — it would result in the loss of "billions of dollars of tourism revenue from western Canadian provinces."
After threatening the aforementioned tolls, Eby admitted that "it would be a big deal for us if the Alaskans retaliated and encouraged the president to have their cruise ships not stop and so on."
"I understand that Alaskans might feel anxious about the idea of an additional charge on trucks going from Washington state to Alaska," he added.
"I hope very much that the elected Republicans in Alaska are sending that message to the president because you can see very quickly how destructive a trade war is. 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."
In 2024, over 320 cruise ships docked in Vancouver, bringing with them 1.32 million passengers — 80,000 more than the previous record, set the year before. The vast majority of those voyages were coming from, or en route to, Alaska.
A study found that cruise lines, passengers, and crew members spent around $1.1 billion during their time in Greater Vancouver. Cruise lines spent around $660 million on local goods and services, while passengers spent an average of $450 per person on hotels, restaurants, shopping, and attractions.
There are currently 301 cruise ships scheduled to arrive in Vancouver this year, carrying 1.2 million passengers.
"Vancouver is one of the premier gateways to the breathtaking beauty of Alaska and the start of the 2025 cruise season is an exciting milestone," Cruise Lines International Association President and CEO Bud Darr said.
"Through the collaborative efforts of the cruise industry and our partners in Vancouver, we are enhancing the passenger experience and driving sustainability advancements, strengthening the Pacific Northwest's position as an exceptional cruise market."
He expressed hope that Vancouver's port, businesses, services, and residents would "deliver a successful Alaska cruise season and welcome travellers from around the world."