Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to meet with U.S. officials next week amid trade war
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to meet with U.S. officials next week, after recently saying she wants to see Canada double down on diplomacy and avoid any further escalations of their trade war.
Smith has said Canadians officials need to keep telling American counterparts tariffs are destructive
Jack Farrell · The Canadian Press
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to meet with U.S. officials next week, after recently saying she wants to see Canada double down on diplomacy and avoid any further escalations of their trade war.
Smith's press secretary, Sam Blackett, said the premier had a previously planned personal trip to the United States but will take time out to speak with the officials, alongside Alberta's senior U.S. representative, Nathan Cooper.
Blackett said in a statement Friday that they will meet with the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, the head of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.
Smith said Wednesday after Canada-U.S. trade talks fell apart last week that the United States had "no excuse for their behaviour" but that she didn't think Canada could win through "brute force."
She said Canadians officials need to keep telling their American counterparts that tariffs are destructive and promise to help once they are reversed.
"These efforts include Alberta's participation in organizations like the Council of State Governments (CSG) Midwest, with MLA Jennifer Johnson serving as Alberta's representative, and other U.S. missions including MLA Shane Getson's upcoming mission to the Ports-to-Plains conference in Del Rio, Texas," Blackett said.
Johnson, a backbencher in Smith's United Conservative caucus, is expected to be joined next week at the U.S. organization's annual Midwestern Legislative Conference by six members of Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's caucus.
Saskatchewan is a full member of the Council of State Governments Midwest, while Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario are affiliate members.
The Alberta government said lawmakers from 11 U.S. states are to attend the conference, which runs in Saint Paul, Minn., from Sunday to Wednesday. It said Johnson will be advocating for Alberta's interests and shared priorities around energy, trade and agriculture.
Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said Wednesday he's among those heading to the conference.
He said he attended another conference last month in Wisconsin, where everyone supported continuing with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement.
"I would say that from an agriculture perspective, a lot of the states are onside," Marit said.
Also attending from Saskatchewan are Rural Health Minister Lori Carr, legislature Speaker Todd Goudy and three Saskatchewan Party backbenchers.
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