Premier Scott Moe considers recent Chinese trade mission a success

Saskatchewan’s trade opportunities with China have been discussed following Premier Scott Moe’s recent trade mission.

Moe has returned from his trip, where Saskatchewan’s food, fuel and fertilizer sectors were showcased to a number of industry leaders and government officials.

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“Over the last decade, China has been one of Saskatchewan’s most important export markets,” Moe said.  

“With the growing uncertainty in world trade, the Chinese market is becoming increasingly important to Saskatchewan.  I was pleased to make important connections with government and industry leaders to communicate that Saskatchewan has the food, fuel, and fertilizer that China needs.”

During the mission, the trade delegation from Saskatchewan met with current and potential investors in our value-added agriculture sector to encourage investment and thank them for investments that have been made.  

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The Premier also met with Chinese government entities, including the Governor of Heilongjiang, the Chinese Ministry of Environment and Ecology, the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology. 

These meetings focused on identifying opportunities to advance mutual interests in sustainable mineral and agricultural development, and environmental protection.

A number of key steps were made in sharing Saskatchewan’s technical innovation, including supporting the signing of an MOU between the CCS Knowledge Centre and the China Petroleum University to advance our shared interest in using CCS for enhanced oil recovery.

The Saskatchewan delegation was also joined by more than 20 Saskatchewan companies at the STEP – Canada China Business Council Showcase focused on promoting Saskatchewan’s exports to China.

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Included in the business delegation was Cameco CEO Tim Gitzel, who accompanied Moe in meetings with a number of Chinese nuclear agencies, including the China Atomic Energy Authority, China National Nuclear Corporation, and China General Nuclear Power Group, to advance efforts to enable additional exports of Saskatchewan uranium to China, a vital economic interest to Northern Saskatchewan.

 “As the world’s fastest-growing producer of nuclear energy, China is a critical market for Cameco,” Gitzel said.  “It’s also a country where positive government-to-government relationships are important to commercial success.  Premier Moe’s support in meeting with Chinese nuclear energy leaders was greatly appreciated and provided a big boost in Cameco’s efforts to grow our business in China.”

Moe was also joined by representatives from Canpotex and Mosaic at meetings and events that promoted the export and increased use of Saskatchewan potash, including meetings with major potash buyers and partners, including Beifeng Corporation and Sinochem/Sinofert.

“Our government will continue to advocate for Saskatchewan’s export-reliant industries, and I would like to thank all Saskatchewan businesses that joined our delegation as we embarked on this important mission,” Moe said.