Moe welcomes Carney’s progress with Trump but presses for action

Talk of “mutual love” in the Oval Office wasn’t enough to convince Saskatchewan’s premier that Canada-U.S. trade tensions are cooling.

Scott Moe welcomed the warmer tone from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump this week. Still, he said Saskatchewan families can’t afford to wait for words to turn into results.

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During his meeting with Carney this week, Trump described Canada’s relationship with the U.S. as one of “mutual love” but “natural conflict,” while defending his protectionist trade policies and hinting at possible changes to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

He also called Carney a “world-class leader” and a tough negotiator.

Carney left Washington without a deal to remove U.S. tariffs, but he said “momentum” was building for sector-specific trade agreements in steel, aluminum and energy. Federal ministers Dominic LeBlanc and Anita Anand stayed behind to continue the talks.

Moe said that progress was encouraging, but it’s not enough.

“Yes, I’m impatient. I want all of those markets opened up, preferably tariff-free, sooner rather than later,” he said.

Moe argued Saskatchewan’s economy depends on exports that are being squeezed by both tariffs and bottlenecks in rail and energy infrastructure. Lower prices for oil and grain, he said, mean smaller paycheques and less revenue for the services communities rely on.

“I want access to all of the markets that create wealth for Saskatchewan people,” Moe said. “That wealth is what allows us to invest in our communities and support families here at home.”

Moe called Carney’s outreach with U.S. and international partners a positive step forward after months of trade uncertainty, but he emphasized that good will must lead to concrete action, especially for resource-based provinces.

“There’s a relationship that needs to advance, and I think it most certainly did yesterday,” Moe said.

The premier said Saskatchewan will continue to utilize its international trade offices to support federal negotiations and advocate for expanded global access around the world, from the United States to Asia.

Moe added that stronger diplomacy abroad ultimately means stability at home for farmers, miners and families whose jobs depend on exports. But until tariffs are gone, he said, optimism will only go so far.

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—with files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick