N.B. premier hoping to sign trade agreements with P.E.I., Saskatchewan

N.B. Premier Susan Holt laid out the main priorities for her province to Prime Minister Mark Carney.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, who recently signed memorandums of understanding (MOU) on trade with Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, is hoping to sign similar agreements with Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan in the near future.

Holt hopes to discuss the possible MOU with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe during the First Ministers meeting in Saskatoon on June 2.

In April New Brunswick signed MOUs with Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, which aim to reduce interprovincial trade barriers and improve the flow of goods and services between the provinces.

Holt said they are also “moving quickly” on a potential MOU with Prince Edward Island. She has previously advocated for a “free trade zone” in Atlantic Canada, which would allow for unrestricted trade between the four provinces.

Reaction to Carney

Holt hosted a news conference on Thursday regarding her virtual First Ministers meeting with her fellow premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney following his much-anticipated meeting with United States President Donald Trump earlier this week.

Holt praised Carney for “making good progress” on Canada’s relationship with the U.S.

She also said she discussed the issue of Chinese tariffs on seafood and how they impact New Brunswick, along with how Trump’s proposed film tariffs could affect the growing movie industry in her province.

“The sense we get from federal government is that the prime minster wants to act quickly,” she said. “His commitment to tearing down internal trade barriers remains.

“What we see from the prime minster is a sense of nation-building projects, a need to focus on our economy, a focus on housing and clearly a focus on a new relationship with the U.S.”

Holt said she plans to bring a “New Brunswick kitchen party to Ottawa” to make the province’s priorities clear to the federal government.

“We’re looking forward to making New Brunswick’s unique needs really clear to the prime minister,” she said.

She flagged critical minerals as a sector of the New Brunswick economy that could see a big boost.

“The demand for these critical resources is insatiable,” she said. “The demand is there and the supply exists in New Brunswick.”

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