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<\/p>\nManitoba\u2019s trade representative says Wednesday\u2019s surprise tariff announcement underscores the challenge of navigating the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
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Richard Madan said the announcement came a day after he led Manitoba\u2019s first delegation to meet with senior U.S. trade representatives to push for predictability at the border.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were not given a heads-up,\u201d Madan said in an interview from his office in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe (Trump) administration, they just drop stuff at any time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The latest U.S. tariff proposal is for a 10 per cent additional tariff on Canada and other countries, after an investigation into forced labour in supply chains.<\/p>\n
The six-person delegation also included representatives from the\u00a0Manitoba\u00a0Chambers of Commerce,\u00a0Manitoba\u00a0Pork Council, Keystone Agricultural Producers and the Business Council of\u00a0Manitoba. Paul Soubry, former CEO of New Flyer Industries, also attended.<\/p>\n
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Madan said the group talked about benefits the province\u2019s trade relationship brings to the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went in there with a very positive message, essentially how\u00a0Manitoba\u00a0helps the United States,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI cracked a joke at the beginning:\u00a0Manitoba\u00a0literally brings home the bacon from Iowa down to Missouri, because a lot of the pork that\u2019s processed from\u00a0Manitoba\u00a0goes into the U.S. and is processed there.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Winnipeg,\u00a0Manitoba\u00a0Premier Wab Kinew was more direct when asked about the tariffs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to see the Trump administration back down from trying to attack our economy. There\u2019s no reason for it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if the Trump administration attacks us, we have to push back.\u201d<\/p>\n
The latest proposed tariff increase wouldn\u2019t apply to goods compliant under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico-Agreement on trade, meaning much of Manitoba\u2019s exports to the U.S. will remain unaffected.<\/p>\n
Agriculture dominates those exports, which totalled more than $7 billion in goods between January and June last year.<\/p>\n
But the uncertainty itself is affecting business investment, as is having to adapt to ever-changing rules, Madan said.<\/p>\n
He led a survey that heard from more than 100 business, labour and Indigenous groups in the province to identify their top trade goals and concerns.<\/p>\n
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The report, released last week, said a key message was how predictability and stability matter just as much as market access.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ongoing uncertainty is really hurting investment in the province,\u201d Madan said. \u201cThat was a message that we heard from the delegation loud and clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Companies, including bus manufacturer NFI Group, have been working to adapt to the tariffs and to pass on some costs, but there have been challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe impact has been noisy and messy, but not disastrous,\u201d said Soubry, who\u2019s now an adviser to the company after stepping down as CEO at the start of the year.<\/p>\n
He said NFI Group hasn\u2019t been held back from expanding in Canada because of the tariffs, but a combination of older buy-American rules and the tariffs mean they\u2019ve had to build up their footprint in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a Manitoban, it\u2019s kind of a frustrating story,\u201d Soubry said. \u201cA\u00a0Manitoba\u00a0business that now has more people employed in the U.S. than we do in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the meetings in Washington were productive in making sure U.S. officials understand what Manitoba\u2019s all about.<\/p>\n
They were also useful for provincial business leaders like himself to hear firsthand how the U.S. is going to approach trade talks.<\/p>\n
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\u201cYou know, boy, the Americans are going to be tough.\u201d<\/p>\n
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