Talks between Canadian, American and Mexican officials will begin on August 16 to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); fulfilling a long held promise by President Donald Trump.
It is still unclear how the renegotiation will impact Saskatchewan, but Trump has said he wants to eliminate “discriminatory barriers” in agriculture.
Speaking Tuesday at the Council of the Federation meeting in Edmonton, Premier Brad Wall channeled President Theodore Roosevelt as he voiced support for Canada to develop a contingency plan if talks fall through.
“Let’s walk softly and carry a big list. Just know what it is and know that we need to be prepared for something that we don’t want to see happen,” Wall said.
READ MORE: NAFTA renegotiation to begin Aug. 16 in Washington
Wall also spoke highly of attempts by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other premiers to engage their American counterparts on the importance of free trade to both economies.
The United States Chamber of Commerce reports that NAFTA is responsible for $1.5 billion in trade annually. The agreement also impacts over 125,000 businesses and 15 million jobs.
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This has Regina Chamber of Commerce president John Hopkins taking a proactive approach to drum up support for continued free trade.
“I was watching NAFTA coverage one night, and the thought occurred to me, where is John Deere’s headquarters?” he said.
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The farm equipment manufacturer is based in Moline, Illinois, and is a member of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. So Hopkins sent that chamber a letter asking them to support continued free trade through agreements like NAFTA.
“They totally get how important trade is with Canada. We’re talking big, big numbers, lots of businesses and lots of jobs. So it started there, and what about connecting with all the capital city chambers,” Hopkins said.
In addition to Quad Cities, Hopkins has managed to get a few other chambers to sign on, including Baton Rouge and Salt Lake City. Hopkins will be having discussion with other American chambers throughout the summer.
READ MORE: Trump asked Ottawa to drop duties on e-commerce under NAFTA. Canadians should cheer, say experts
The agreement is non-binding, but Hopkins said it’s important to get his American counterparts on board because they have the ear of local law makers.
Seven rounds of NAFTA negotiation talks are expected to take place, with three weeks between each round.
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