Moe apprehensive ahead of CUSMA conversations this year

Saskatchewan’s Premier doesn’t appear to have much confidence that conversations will be seamless heading into the review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (CUSMA) this summer.

Premier Scott Moe told reporters at the Food, Fuel, and Fertilizer Global Summit in Regina that the review of CUSMA will be a “difficult and challenging conversation,” pointing to comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump over broad-based tariffs on goods from not only Canada, but also other countries around the world.

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“That’s what we’re in for, is that type of an environment and that type of an intent from our trading partner across the table,” Moe said. “I don’t think that’s good for North American energy security. I also don’t think it’s good for the long-term food and energy security of our nation, and ultimately, our general security with our largest trading partner and, traditionally, our largest ally.

“But that’s what we’re in for. It’s going to be tough.”

However, Moe said the end goal for both Canadians and Americans should be a free and fair trade environment.

“To ensure that we are competitive and secure as the continent of North America – That should be our goal, and I hope we realize that sooner rather than later.”

Moe emphasized CUSMA is a beneficial agreement for not only Canadians, but also for Americans.

“It certainly is when it comes to accessing tariff-free Saskatchewan potash, fertilizer, and tariff-free Saskatchewan uranium for clean nuclear power. The oil is the largest export that we have that heads to the United States. They add value to that in refineries in Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.”

Over the weekend, in a video Prime Minister Mark Carney posted to social media, he stated that “many of our (Canada’s) former strengths, based on our close ties to America, have become our weaknesses – weaknesses that we must correct.”

Moe said he wouldn’t categorize any trade relationship as a weakness, especially one with Saskatchewan’s and Canada’s largest trading partner.

“I would have to ask him (Carney) what he’s referring to. But if we become too reliant on one country, I suppose you could think that has some challenges to it,” he said.

“But we have many other trade relationships around the world, and we maybe have taken larger steps in diversifying where we sell our goods around the world than many other provinces, so trade relationships are not weaknesses, they are our strengths.”

Moe described Canada’s trading relationship with the US at a “challenging time, but most certainly a strength. All of our trade relationships around the world are a strength.”

“I won’t try to interpret what message the Prime Minister was trying to convey, but what I did take from it was this is going to be a challenging conversation this summer as we find out way through this review and we should not have blind expectations as to what the outcomes might be.”

Moe said he is hopeful and trusts that the Prime Minister Carney’s priority heading into the review of CUSMA will be Canada’s trading relationship with the U.S.

“We’re going to work as a provincial government, as a sub national government, to support them in the discussions that are going to come, but they won’t be easy. They’ll be well publicized, and we need to, as Canadians, keep our eye on where we want to get to in the in the longer term, with respect to this very, very important trade relationship with the United States.”