Podcasts available now on GX94, Yorkton, or 620 CKRM, Regina, hosted by Steven Wilson.
Steven Wilson — Welcome to Trade Dispute Impact on the Prairies. I'm Steven Wilson. As the standoff between Canada and the United States continues, economists are warning that looking for new export partners will not be enough if the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement falls apart.
A new analysis from Deloitte Canada suggests the country must look inward to cushion the blow by tearing down interprovincial trade barriers and supporting domestic industries. Deloitte describes a potential U.S. withdrawal from CUSMA as severe but not cataclysmic, with manufacturing taking the hardest hit. Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Thunder Bay today announcing investments in Canadian manufacturing.
But on the ground, the collapse of trade talks two weeks ago is already straining long-standing border partnerships. SaskAg Today's Ryan Young reports on how the deadlock is raising alarms for producers on both sides of the 49th parallel.
Ryan Young — Feelings of uncertainty resurfaced nearly two weeks ago when Canadian and American negotiators weren't able to reach an agreement on an updated CUSMA deal.
Both sides claimed last-minute demands led to the breakdown. Both subsequently announced tariffs on specific products. Canadian farm groups pointed out the dispute puts the supply chain and ability to export at risk, especially when both economies have been deeply integrated for decades. President of the North Dakota Farmers Union Matt Perdue shares the sentiment.
Matt Perdue — You know, Canada is a critical trading partner for us. You know, there's in North Dakota alone, there's about $434 million in agricultural exports.
And I think that's, it's a really important relationship in terms of demand for our commodities. We also get a lot of imports from Canada, things like petroleum and agricultural machinery. And I farm here in the Northern tier of the state and there's a lot of day-to-day business that happens across the border with Canada. And so this is an important relationship. And frankly, we're frustrated by what we see as some unnecessary, you know, tensions around some of these agreements.
And I think ultimately we have asked the U.S. administration, let's sort of calm the waters here. Let's not antagonize one of our most important trading partners.
Ryan Young — While the only solution is to return to the table, it's unclear when that would happen. For GX94 News, I'm Ryan Young.
Steven Wilson — While farmers worry about supply chains, the federal government is attempting to help prairie businesses pivot away from heavy American reliance. Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson was in Saskatoon yesterday to announce over $11 million in targeted funding for local enterprises, while highlighting resource projects like the McElvenna Bay copper and zinc mine. SaskToday's John Cairns has the details from Saskatoon.
John Cairns — Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson was in Saskatoon for two announcements on Wednesday. The first was funding of $11.6 million going to 10 new projects led by eight Saskatoon businesses.
Hodgson believes this funding will help those businesses not just survive in the face of tariffs, but thrive.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson —These are eight examples of businesses that are grabbing the bull by the horn and saying we can't control what the Americans do, but we can control what we do. We're going to grow our business.
We're going to pivot our business. We're going to focus more on the Canadian market. We're going to focus up more on other markets and we're going to continue to grow our businesses and employ people here in Saskatchewan.
John Cairns — Later Hodgson was at an event marking the progress of the McElvenna Bay copper and zinc mine project that was one of the first projects greenlighted by the major projects office last year. Hodgson says this project will mean more economic activity and is an example of how Saskatchewan can be resilient in this challenging time. For GX94, I'm John Cairns.
Steven Wilson — Today's economic friction may feel unprecedented, but Canada and the United States have shared tense moments throughout history. Veteran Saskatchewan broadcaster Lorne Harasen has watched decades of prime ministers and presidents navigate cross-border disputes.
Lorne Harasen —Probably the best relationship of all was between Brian Mulroney and Ronald Reagan. The Reagans visited Canada and when President Reagan died, Mulroney was asked to be one of the eulogists at his funeral. So things there were all right.
In terms of scuffles, John F. Kennedy was a little impatient with John Diefenbaker about not putting nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles and neither of them was in office too long for that to really develop into anything unhappy.
Lyndon Johnson was particularly peeved with Pearson, who at that time had become prime minister, because Pearson had given a speech in which he was critical of the U.S. bombing in Vietnam. And when they met, I understand that LBJ had some unparliamentary things to say to Mr. Pearson and kind of grabbed him by the lapels of his coat.
Steven Wilson — Tomorrow on Trade Dispute – Impact on the Prairies, we will hear how Saskatchewan's capital is bracing for the fallout with comments from Regina Mayor Chad Baczynski.
Plus, Lorne Harrison returns with more perspective on our shared history and whether Canada is positioned to weather the storm. I'm Steven Wilson and thank you for listening to Trade Dispute – Impact on the Prairies,
