Sask. pushing provinces to reduce trade barriers amid tariff war with U.S.

As the tariff war between Canada and the United States heats up, Saskatchewan plans to push other provinces to reduce trade barriers on goods flowing across the country.

According to the provincial government, Saskatchewan has long advocated for open and free trade between provinces and territories, and aims to reduce interprovincial barriers even further in the coming days and weeks.

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• Shots over the bow: Why provinces are using liquor leverage in trade war

“Saskatchewan has some of the fewest exceptions of any province within the Canadian Free Trade Agreement,” Warren Kaeding, Saskatchewan’s trade and export development minister, said in a statement.

“We are conducting a thorough review of our remaining exceptions to ensure we remain the best jurisdiction in Canada for trade and investment. Our province will continue to lead by example and encourage other territorial leaders to further reduce their barriers on goods flowing freely across Canada in order to match Saskatchewan’s low exemptions.”

After issuing a directive earlier this week stating that Saskatchewan liquor stores will no longer be permitted to order American alcohol in response to the tariffs put in place by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Government of Saskatchewan said it is also working to boost Canadian liquor.

“Saskatchewan is currently co-leading a federal-provincial-territorial working group of willing jurisdictions to advance a direct-to-consumers sales system for alcohol, which will result in consumers have greater access to products from across Canada, while opening potential new markets for Saskatchewan producers,” the provincial government noted.

The Government of Saskatchewan said it is also pushing for Canada-wide recognition of safety requirements for the trucking industry, and is currently participating in a pilot project, “meaning more goods are arriving safely and on time from producers across the country.”

In addition to the ban on American alcohol, the province also announced that goods and services procured by the provincial government must prioritize Canadian suppliers, with the goal of eliminating U.S. procurement entirely.

Any future capital projects have been paused, the government noted, and contractors working on projects currently in progress will be asked to report on American products being used, and reduce that amount.

The provincial government said it expects school divisions, municipalities and post-secondary institutions to adopt similar policies around procurement, in order to prioritize Canadian products and services.

“The United States has always been Saskatchewan’s largest and most important trading partner, but when they attack our economy, we have to push back,” Premier Scott Moe said on Wednesday.

“Our exports lower the cost of living for millions of Americans and support jobs on both sides of the border. Our goal is to end these tariffs and retaliatory measures as soon as possible so that we can resume our long standing, mutually beneficial relationship.”