Scott Moe goes to Washington to talk trade and tariffs with American counterparts

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is in Washington, D.C., with trade and tariffs on his mind.

Moe is attending the winter meeting of the National Governors Association, the bipartisan organization of U.S. state governors.

He's there as part of a Council of the Federation delegation that includes Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Blaine Higgs, New Brunswick's premier and the federation's chair.

Moe says he's finding support among U.S. governors when it comes to getting rid of tariffs like those that have been imposed on Canadian steel.

"These tariffs are making North American companies less competitive on the global market and we need to move away from that," Moe said in a conference call on Friday.

He said with such an integrated economy, these tariffs hurt both countries.

Automobile parts go back and forth across the border many times before there is a finished product, Moe pointed out, and the same thing happens with goods made here.

"The same holds true for air drills that are manufactured in Saskatchewan," Moe said. "Or grain cars or oil field equipment that is increasingly being manufactured not only in Saskatchewan but in Minot, North Dakota, and other areas, and crossing the border back and forth."

With roughly 65 per cent of the province's estimated annual $30-billion worth of product exported to the United States, Moe said it is essential to have a good relationship with Canada's southern trading partner.

And while national policies are made at the federal level, premiers and governors are close to the people and industry those policies affect most, he said.

Uranium investigation

Moe said another area of contention he is addressing while in Washington concerns uranium.

The U.S. has launched an investigation around uranium imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which allows for investigations into the effects of imports on national security.

If it's found they pose a risk to national security, the president has the authority under the act to "adjust imports."

"We most certainly should not be under their review under Section 232 … with respect to our exports of clean fuel uranium that is being used in nuclear power right across the U.S.," Moe said.

He also said pipelines need to be on the agenda, and that the lack of pipelines — whether east to west, or north to south — is costing the province billions in lost revenue and taxes.

He said the discussion shouldn't be about one specific pipeline.

"The conversation needs to be around energy corridors and how we can actually have a regulatory environment where companies can come in with a certain degree of certainty … that they can actually move forward with a project or not move forward with a project," he said.

He said a good start in that direction would be dropping Bill C-69, which provides a process for assessing the environmental, health, social and economic effects of pipeline and other projects. Critics say it muddies the approval process for pipelines.

Moe reiterated his stance that the bill is not an effective tool in reducing emissions and it has a harmful impact on the economy and families.

The Saskatchewan premier will take over as chair of the Council of the Federation next year, and Moe has also talked with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, the incoming National Governors Association president.

He said they chatted about enhancing the relationship between the two countries by forming groups to look at specific issues such as energy and agriculture.