Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said on Fri., July 11, 2025, that about 95 per cent of Saskatchewan’s exports to the United States are exempt from the latest tariff threat. (650 CKOM file photo)

By CKOM News

Tariffs

Trump’s tariff threat to have ‘minimal’ impact: Sask. Premier

Jul 11, 2025 | 3:20 PM

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says most of the province’s exports will remain exempt after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports starting Aug. 1.

In a statement to media on Friday afternoon, Moe said that 95 per cent of Saskatchewan exports comply with the USMCA, and the White House has confirmed those goods are exempt from the new tariffs.

“That said, all tariffs and trade disputes hurt businesses, workers and consumers on both sides of the border, so we will continue to engage with U.S. officials to encourage free and fair trade with the U.S., while also continuing to expand Saskatchewan’s export markets around the world,” Moe said.

Canada and the United States had committed to working on a new economic and security agreement with a July 21 deadline. But in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said the trade deficit with Canada is a threat to the American economy and national security. He wrote that if Canada works to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, he may consider a tariff adjustment.

He also pointed to supply management in the dairy sector, repeating his inaccurate claim about Canada putting 400 per cent tariffs on American dairy farmers.

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Moe’s response to the new tariff deadline pointed to Statistics Canada numbers released on Friday that showed Saskatchewan’s “strong and growing economy.” He noted more than 20,000 jobs created in the past year as evidence that “Saskatchewan’s approach is working.”

Opposition Leader Carla Beck countered those remarks in a social media post on Friday afternoon, stating “Moe has the second-worst job creation record in the country.”

Beck accused Moe of pandering to Trump “at every turn,” and pointed that “American booze is back on store shelves. American contracts are being approved right here in Saskatchewan.”

The prime minister will be meeting with his cabinet and premiers on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade negotiations.

–With files from The Canadian Press