{"id":846331,"date":"2026-08-05T00:10:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T00:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/846331\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T00:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T00:10:10","slug":"trump-administration-will-close-5-smaller-us-consulates-including-winnipeg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/846331\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump administration will close 5 smaller US consulates, including Winnipeg"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Donald Trump\u2019s administration has informed Congress that it intends to close five smaller U.S. embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in Africa, Asia and the Western Hemisphere, even as it steams ahead with\u00a0plans to reopen\u00a0shuttered posts in Libya and Syria and\u00a0has reopened\u00a0the long-closed embassy in Venezuela.<\/p>\n

In separate notices sent late last week to lawmakers, the State Department said it would close the U.S. Embassy in the Caribbean island of Grenada; the consulates in Nagoya, Japan, and Medan, Indonesia; the American Presence Post in\u00a0Winnipeg, Canada; and an embassy branch office in Douala, Cameroon.<\/p>\n

The closures by the Republican administration are expected to save the government roughly $4.4 million per year, according to the notices obtained by The Associated Press. But the missions to be closed employ very few people compared with others.<\/p>\n

The embassy in St. George\u2019s, Grenada, and the consulate in Nagoya have only one American staffer and five local employees each. The consulate in Medan has four direct-hire U.S. staffers and 47 local employees. The\u00a0Winnipeg\u00a0post has only two local staffers, and the embassy office in Douala has only 14 local staffers.<\/p>\n

The State Department announced plans earlier this year to permanently\u00a0close the U.S. consulate\u00a0in Peshawar, Pakistan, which was the closest diplomatic mission to Afghanistan since\u00a0American troops withdrew\u00a0in 2021.<\/p>\n

The steps come as the department moves to streamline its operations at home and abroad, while investing millions of dollars into\u00a0reopening the U.S. embassies\u00a0in Caracas, Venezuela; Damascus, Syria; and Tripoli, Libya, to restore America\u2019s formal diplomatic presence following the ouster of long-ruling autocrats in those countries.<\/p>\n

Manitoba PCs \u2018disappointed\u2019 as U.S. decides to close\u00a0Winnipeg\u00a0consulate<\/p>\n

Manitoba\u2019s Opposition says the U.S. decision to close its diplomatic post in\u00a0Winnipeg\u00a0is disappointing and underscores Premier Wab Kinew\u2019s failure to get things done on cross-border trade.<\/p>\n

PC Leader Obby Khan said that despite Kinew\u2019s government spending nearly $1 million a year on a Washington D.C. trade office, it has failed to deliver new investment or trade deals.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite his promises to strengthen our relationship with the United States, Manitoba\u2019s economy is falling further behind \u2014 and businesses and families are paying the price,\u201d he said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Winnipeg\u00a0consulate doesn\u2019t offer consular or visa services, but does have a representative tasked with building trade relations and advancing U.S. policy.<\/p>\n

Kinew\u2019s office said it would defer comment to the federal government because consulates are a federal issue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Global Affairs Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

The U.S. State Department said the decision to close the consulate in\u00a0Winnipeg, and shift responsibilities to its embassy in Ottawa, reflects its commitment to efficient resource management.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It said that while the U.S. physical presence in\u00a0Winnipeg\u00a0is changing, policy priorities in Canada \u201cremain steadfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

The planned closure comes amid tensions between Kinew and the U.S., particularly over tariffs imposed by Trump, with Manitoba retaliating last year by announcing it will no longer import U.S.-made alcohol.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kinew has called Trump\u2019s policies \u201cdumb\u201d and has labelled the president \u201cEnemy No. 1\u201d when it comes to the economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The U.S. had an official presence in\u00a0Winnipeg\u00a0for 113 years before the consulate was closed in 1986. The U.S. reopened the post in 2001.<\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

Add CityNews Winnipeg as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n

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