Manitoba’s provincial government was focused on international trade Tuesday morning, as Premier Wab Kinew met with representatives from the European Union.
Kinew met with ambassador Geneviève Tuts and 18 heads of mission of European member states at the Manitoba legislature, where he discussed increasing trade.
It was all part of meeting the premier called an opportunity to show European nations that Manitoba is open for business, as the trade war between Canada and the United States continues.
“We had that opening meeting today, the foundation-setting meeting today,” Kinew said.
“The next step is to follow up with these ambassadors and bring forward a tangible business opportunity so that the job creators here in Manitoba can step up.”
The meeting comes a day after the province asked Manitoba Hydro to redirect U.S. electricity exports to homegrown Canadian projects, as its contracts with Minnesota are set to expire.
Kinew said the creation of a second port on Hudson Bay — away from the town of Churchill — could be one way to increase trade with Europe.
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The provincial and federal governments have already made investments into the Port of Churchill, which runs seasonally due to ice conditions.
“I would say post-Trump, we’re open to that and to all options,” the premier said.
“Balancing consideration between growing our economy by accessing tidewater in Manitoba, while protecting our environment — belugas, polar bears — is super important to get right.”
Former Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson told 680 CJOB’s The News that during this tour by the EU representatives, it’s important for Manitoba to outline what it’s looking for in a potential trading partner.
“This is a first step — for many of them it’s their first visit to Manitoba, which often gets overlooked when European ambassadors cross the country,” Robertson said.
“They’ll go to Toronto of course, they’ll go to Montreal, or they often have consulates — they’ll go to Calgary and Vancouver, but they don’t always come to Manitoba.”
Robertson said Europeans are seeking more opportunities, and Manitoba needs to lay out the costs and the specifics of what this province can provide.
“Here’s what it’s going to cost, and here’s the opportunity for you — they’ll take that back to their countries as well as to the European Union, and that’s what you want.”
In addition to meeting with the premier and cabinet, the two-day visit to Manitoba will also include meetings with the Business Council of Manitoba and the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, as well as tours of the Canadian NORAD headquarters and CentrePoint Canada.
Representatives of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden made the trip.
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