PRINCE ALBERT \u2013 Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says a decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to not impose 50 per cent tariffs on an array of Canadian goods is positive for his province.<\/p>\n
Moe says the extra levies would have been detrimental to businesses and the overall economy.<\/p>\n
Canada and the United States have been in negotiations over a potential deal that could see Washington reduce existing tariffs on some Canadian products.<\/p>\n
Moe says he hopes a new agreement would result in smaller levies on steel, aluminum, lumber and autos.<\/p>\n
The premier says those tariffs have already taken a toll, citing a sawmill in Saskatchewan that recently suspended operations.<\/p>\n
Moe also says Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked provinces to put U.S. liquor back on to store shelves \u2013 a measure that wouldn\u2019t affect Saskatchewan as the province doesn\u2019t have a ban in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to have, in many ways, preferred market access to our largest trading partner,\u201d Moe told reporters in Prince Albert, Sask. \u201cI feel that is what we\u2019re in the process of achieving.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what Canada had under the Canada-United States-Mexico free trade agreement is no longer possible, Moe added.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada will have the strongest trade agreement of any country in the world with the United States of America. But we also need to understand that the status quo that we had two years ago was not possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2026.<\/p>\n
Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version said Saskatchewan never imposed a ban on U.S. liquor. In fact, there was a ban in 2025.<\/p>\n