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<\/p>\nSweeping tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump are forcing Canada to look inward \u2014 and beyond its southern neighbour \u2014 to forge new trade opportunities.<\/p>\n
With Canada-U.S. trade relations on the rocks, Canada has been working toward \u201cnation-building\u201d projects under Prime Minister Mark Carney\u2019s new agenda, while provinces look at removing barriers to interprovincial trade.<\/p>\n
Two scarce resources in the world are fresh water and land \u2014 resources that Canada has in abundance, according to Murad Al-Katib, chief executive, AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., a global food distribution company based in Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood, fuel and fertilizer are going to be the drivers of the new generation economy of this country,\u201d Al-Katib said.<\/p>\n
Looking at those factors, Canada has to be \u201cthe solution\u201d to the world\u2019s needs \u2014 ultimately playing the role of exporter as trade relationships change, he added.<\/p>\n
Al-Katib made the comments at the Global Business Forum in Banff, Alta.<\/p>\n
Between 75 and 80 per cent of Canadian exports flow through the U.S., or around $800 billion worth of goods in 2024, according to TD Economics. Canada is also the U.S.\u2019s second-largest trading partner behind Mexico.<\/p>\n
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Murad Al-Katib, President and Chief Executive Officer of AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., inside the companies processing plant in Regina.<\/p>\n
In terms of tariffs, eventually Canada will \u201cthank\u201d Trump, Al-Katib said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump has punched us in the nose, and we needed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recognizing the value of U.S. trade, he said Canada should keep trading with the \u201cgolden goose\u201d and aim to trade even more.<\/p>\n
However, increasing Canada\u2019s trade with other nations to shift away from over 50 years of reliance is important, according to Al-Katib.<\/p>\n
Born in Saskatchewan, Al-Katib started what became AGT in 2001 with a small facility in Regina. He has since expanded the business to 46 facilities around the world and 3.2 billion in revenue.<\/p>\n
Inland ports needed to move freight within the country says logistics CEO![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/7f44de92dd3391561e806cd30b849994.jpeg\"\/)
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DP World CEO Doug Smith speaks at the Global Business Forum in Banff Friday.<\/p>\n
Doug Smith, chief executive of North American logistics giant DP World Canada, spoke alongside Al-Katib at the forum.<\/p>\n
Ports, particularly on Canada\u2019s coasts, have been discussed under the veil of Carney\u2019s nation-building agenda, though only one port expansion was included in the initial project list.<\/p>\n
Smith argues that if Canada truly breaks down interprovincial trade barriers, a whole new set of logistics would be needed to get that freight moving.<\/p>\n
That would come in the form of ports \u2014 but particularly inland ports, which cost about one quarter that of their coastal counterparts.<\/p>\n
Still, the work required is extensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t one or two warehouses and one rail depot,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThis is tens of thousands of acres of planning that sets you up for not just what you need today, but where you\u2019re going to go tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith has visited many Canadian cities, including Calgary, to discuss the potential of inland ports with municipal officials and business stakeholders.<\/p>\n
He identified over half a dozen potential inland terminal sites, including Calgary, Edmonton, Nanaimo, B.C., Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg, among others.<\/p>\n
Calgary has its own ambitions with Prairie Economic Gateway \u2014 which aims to become the largest logistics centre in Western Canada<\/a> by 2027, taking up approximately 1,300 acres in the city\u2019s east.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s great that the cities are interested, that we got that support,\u201d Smith said in an interview. \u201cNow let\u2019s find the customers who understand the shift that needs to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Often, shipments of Canadian goods may pass through the U.S. to be shipped elsewhere \u2014 in some cases, even being shipped back to Canada, he noted.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are Canadians shipping through the U.S. instead of using Canadian infrastructure? Where\u2019s that answer? If you want to build a great inland port, you have to answer that question,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n Looking to Canada\u2019s north, there is an \u201cimmense opportunity\u201d for commodities that could be utilized.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we look at what\u2019s happening down south . . . that\u2019s a wake-up call \u2014 let\u2019s use it,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
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