Smith to meet Tennessee officials in Nashville amid U.S. trade war
The Alberta premier will use a personal trip to the U.S. to hold talks with Tennessee tourism and business officials as Ottawa's negotiations with Washington stall.
Why it matters
The outreach reflects Alberta's effort to protect trade and tourism ties with U.S. states as federal Canada-U.S. tariff negotiations stall.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will meet with U.S. officials next week during a previously planned personal trip to the United States, her press secretary Sam Blackett said Friday. Smith will be joined by Alberta's senior U.S. representative, Nathan Cooper, for talks 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.
The meetings come after Smith said Wednesday that Canada-U.S. trade talks had collapsed and that the U.S. had "no excuse for their behaviour," while cautioning that Canada could not win through "brute force." She said Canadian officials should keep pressing American counterparts on the damage caused by tariffs and offer help once they are lifted.
Alberta is also stepping up other U.S. outreach, including MLA Jennifer Johnson's role representing the province at the Council of State Governments Midwest's Midwestern Legislative Conference in Saint Paul, Minnesota, running Sunday to Wednesday with lawmakers from 11 U.S. states. Johnson, an affiliate-member representative since Alberta is not a full CSG Midwest member, will raise energy, trade and agriculture priorities. MLA Shane Getson is also set to attend the Ports-to-Plains conference in Del Rio, Texas.
Saskatchewan, a full CSG Midwest member, is sending six caucus members to the Minnesota conference, including Agriculture Minister David Marit, who said states he has spoken with largely support continuing the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.