Sask. Premier Moe Calls US Relations ‘Intense’ Following Trip to Washington

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks to the media after the Saskatchewan budget is presented in Regina on March 22, 2023. The Canadian Press/Heywood Yu

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said the relationship with the United States seemed a “little more intense” during his most recent trip to Washington.

Moe was visiting the U.S. capital in response to President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariff threats on imports from Canada. Trump said this week the tax on Canadian goods will come into force on March 4.

“It’s a little more intense now, admittedly, and that may remain a little more intense for a period into the future, but we’re committed to making the relationship work,” Moe told reporters from Washington on Feb. 27.

He said it was important for Canada to play the “long game” in relations with the United States.

“I don’t always get along with my family. I don’t always get along within our political party or even within our nation,” he said. “And so there are times when you’re going to have discussions like this. It’s important for all of us as North Americans to keep our eye on the long game.”

Moe said tariffs will hurt both Canada and the United States and that people on both sides of the border will pay more for goods, resulting in a “less competitive North American market.”

“Gas will go up in the pumps almost almost immediately. So American families will pay more with these tariffs” he said, adding that the sooner a stable trading environment is developed between the two countries, the better.

The United States gets about 90 percent of its potash from Saskatchewan, Moe said. The country also imports roughly $15 billion of oil from the province for states like Ohio, Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas, he noted.

Moe said his team met with congressional representatives, a number of senators, and some White House officials during the three-day trip.

Saskatchewan’s delegation included representatives from Cameco, Evraz, Arizona Lithium, Cenovus, Whitecap Resources, Enbridge, North American Helium, and the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.

Moe has described the United States as the province’s largest trading partner. Approximately $40 billion worth of imports and exports cross the Saskatchewan-U.S. border every year, according to a Feb. 24 government news release.

The leading exports from the province to the United States last year included crude oil valued at $12.5 billion, potash at $4.2 billion, and canola oil at $2.9 billion.

In recent weeks, Moe, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston have pushed for the renewal of a cross-country pipeline project in Canada such as the cancelled Energy East project, citing the need for energy independence in the face of U.S. tariffs.

Moe announced during his Washington, D.C., visit that all pipeline projects in Saskatchewan would be considered “pre-approved.”