Saskatchewan aiming to triple exports to Asia by 2020

REGINA – On Tuesday Premier Brad Wall received the final report of the Saskatchewan-Asia Advisory Council, detailing 45 recommendations aimed at enhancing the province’s engagement with Asia on trade, investment, education and immigration.

“The members of the council have done an excellent job in analyzing the opportunities Saskatchewan has in Asia and the challenges it faces in realizing those opportunities,” Wall said.

“I have been strongly advocating that Saskatchewan, and indeed Canada, must pivot to Asia if we want to keep growing our economies, and this report will be very useful in informing our government’s policies and actions in that regard.”

Some key recommendations in the report include:

• A tripling of exports to Asia by 2020 through enhancements to the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP), better market access and export readiness support for the province’s small and medium enterprises, and focused in-market representation in South Asia and the region covered by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN);
• Identification and development of project proposals for at least 10 major in-province investment opportunities for Asian investors;
• Establishment of an international education council to identify barriers and opportunities related to international post-secondary student recruitment;
• Development of Asian language and awareness programming in Saskatchewan’s primary and secondary schools, with a priority on the Mandarin language; and
• Greater celebration and promotion of Saskatchewan’s immigrant populations and their contribution to our province.

“Council members are passionate in their belief that Asia beckons to us as never before, but that there is a lack of urgency in national efforts to enhance and transform our relationships with Asia,” Kook said.

“We believe that Saskatchewan can lead the nation in Asian engagement – there is no other province better equipped to do so – and our recommendations are meant to contribute to those leadership efforts.”

Saskatchewan’s trade with Asia was at an all-time high in 2013 with $6.6 billion worth of exports.

Saskatchewan also leads all Canadian exports to India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.