Manitoba, B.C. to sign free trade pact

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says his government will sign a new memorandum of understanding with British Columbia to advance free trade between the provinces, with cabinet set to pass mutual recognition regulations by July 1.

“Fair trade in Canada is something the business community has been advocating for a long time,” Kinew said at the MBiz Breakfast Series hosted by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. “Manitoba is moving quickly to knock down the barriers that exist so we can create more wealth, jobs and opportunities here in Manitoba and build a more resilient and sovereign Canadian economy.”

Under the Fair Trade in Canada Act, the legal groundwork is in place to establish reciprocal jurisdictions, the premier said. The next step is passing rules that mutually recognize goods and services from provinces with comparable standards—steps he said will benefit workers and businesses alike by removing internal trade barriers.

Kinew also pointed to Manitoba’s economic resilience amid challenges such as wildfires and new U.S. tariffs on steel, noting the province has retained an A+ credit rating from S&P Global. He cited consultations on Manitoba’s Economic Development Strategy and a new Innovation and Productivity Task Force chaired by Jim Balsillie as efforts to improve productivity and strengthen the knowledge economy.

Kinew praised front-line workers battling wildfires and thanked businesses for contributing to wildfire relief. Proceeds from the chambers breakfast went in part to Manitoba’s donation-matching campaign with the Canadian Red Cross.