Premier Brad Wall is in Phoenix for the Western Governors’ Association Winter Meeting.

He plans to deliver a strong message that preserving free trade in North America is critical for continued economic growth and job creation on both sides of the border.

Wall says it has been a priority of our government to work to open up new markets for Saskatchewan products and push for free trade agreements.

He notes one in five jobs in our province depends on exports, adding they will continue to advocate for the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Mexico because it is clear there are overwhelming benefits for all countries involved.

Saskatchewan exports to the U.S. were $12.8 billion in 2016, with the top products including oil, potash, canola oil, uranium, oats, wheat, cattle and oriented strand board.

Last year the total cross-border bilateral trade reached close to US$635 billion, or about US$1.7 billion of goods and services crossing the border every day.

Overall, bilateral trade between Canada and United States has more than tripled since the original NAFTA agreement was signed in 1989.

In return, the province imported about $7.5 billion in U.S. products, including herbicides and agricultural and industrial machinery.

While attending the Western Governors Association Meeting, Wall will join the governors of Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming in signing a memorandum of understanding on Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage.