British Columbia Premier David Eby says 鈥渢he last thing鈥� the province is considering is further economic integration with the United States, as he and other premiers prepare for a White House meeting with President Donald Trump鈥檚 advisers.

Eby says that instead B.C. is 鈥渓ooking for other customers鈥� for everything from aluminum to seafood.

He says the premiers have had a series of 鈥渞eally positive discussions鈥� with Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., as they seek to head off Trump鈥檚 threatened tariffs.

The Council of the Federation, which represents all provincial and territorial premiers, says that due to the White House meeting, all other engagements were cancelled for Wednesday afternoon.

Eby said earlier that the common theme in the meetings so far is that elected representatives from all parties understand the importance of the relationship between the United States and Canada, as well as the objectives.

But he says 鈥渋t鈥檚 a puzzle鈥� for British Columbians why the U.S. would, for example, place a tariff on aluminum that they cannot get elsewhere.

Eby says Canada will never be the 51st state as Trump has suggested, but there is a lot to be discussed with the U.S. about working closely together on transnational organized crime 鈥渙r whatever it is the president is interested in.鈥�

He says the two countries don鈥檛 have to fight and cause economic damage to each other.