Nykole King
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The Government of Saskatchewan is “strengthening ties” with Canadian provinces and territories in response to tariffs from the United States and China.
“It’s opening the door to facilitating trade coming into Saskatchewan,” Trade and Export Development Minister Warren Kaeding told media Tuesday after introducing the bill.
The release from the province said the Saskatchewan Internal Trade Promotion Act will enhance the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, and reduce red tape on the movement of goods and service across provincial boundaries, as well as labour mobility.
While previous legislation covered the movement of services across provincial boundaries, this bill will allow an easier flow of goods, except for food and food products, Kaeding said.
The release from the province said the Saskatchewan Internal Trade Promotion Act will enhance the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, and reduce red tape on the movement of goods and service across provincial boundaries, as well as labour mobility.
While previous legislation covered the movement of services across provincial boundaries, this bill will allow an easier flow of goods, except for food and food products, Kaeding said.
“We’re using that as a launching point to make sure that we can get that reciprocal offering in other provinces that we want to do business with,” Kaeding said. “Which is literally every jurisdiction across Canada.”
The bill to encourage interprovincial trade comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he “terminated” all trade talks with Canada and promised to add an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian imports into the US.
China introduced a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian canola oil and meal imports earlier this year and a 75.8 per cent tariff on canola seed on Aug. 14, hitting many Saskatchewan farmers at harvest.
Federal, provincial and territorial governments have been working together to remove some of the barriers that restrict the flow of goods and services across the country, the release said.
The bill will allow the province to “fast track” goods into the province that have already passed regulatory requirements in other Canadian jurisdictions, Kaeding said.
“This means Canadian businesses won’t need to go through unnecessary approval processes, saving them time, effort and reducing red tape,” the province said in the release.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has signed memorandums of understanding to reduce trade barriers with Ontario, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.
“We’re willing to get into bilateral (and) multilateral agreements to ultimately expedite the movement of goods across all provinces,” Kaeding said. “I would say we’re probably one of the easiest jurisdictions to do business with right now.”
