Tariffs on coal shipments?

Re.: Canada may retaliate (Castanet, Nov. 25)

I'm writing to advise that a possible target for this retaliation would be the multiple trains per day hauling coal from Wyoming to the Roberts Bank supersport.

The exporters in the U.S. were turned down by every West Coast U.S. port capable of handling these huge numbers of coal/unit trains but Canada said “sure, no problem".

There is no alternative export port for this coal destined for shipping to Asian buyers, so I'm thinking that shutting down these trains, or adding a similar tariff to the price of these coal shipments which should offset the tariffs placed on our softwood lumber.

I have to wonder why we're allowing the transport of Wyoming coal through B.C. when we have plenty of Canadian coal we could send (to Asian buyers).

In the end, it gets burned creating CO2 and that's bad for the environment but how about sending Canadian coal and keeping the profits here since, one way or other, coal is being burned?

Alan Sanderson