Moe Optimistic About India Trade Talks as Saskatchewan Farmers Seek Tariff Relief

Premier Scott Moe says Saskatchewan has much to gain if Canada can reset and expand its trading relationship with India particularly as local farmers continue to feel the sting of steep tariffs.

Moe is preparing to travel with Prime Minister Mark Carney on a trade mission to Mumbai and New Delhi, where Carney is expected to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The goal: explore ways to rebuild momentum toward a broader trade agreement between the two countries.

For Moe, the discussions are overdue.

He noted that trade talks between Canada and India had been underway years ago but were put on hold, leaving provinces like Saskatchewan waiting for progress.

“There was movement before, and then things paused,” Moe said, adding that he is encouraged to see the issue back on the table. A comprehensive trade deal, he believes, would create long-term opportunities for Saskatchewan exporters and strengthen economic ties between the two nations.

The urgency is clear in the agriculture sector. Last year, India imposed a 30 per cent tariff on Canadian yellow peas a major export for Saskatchewan farmers. The move hit producers hard, tightening margins in an already unpredictable global market.

Provincial officials have been pressing Ottawa to prioritize negotiations aimed at removing or reducing the tariff. For Saskatchewan, which produces the bulk of Canada’s pulse crops, improved access to India’s vast consumer market could be transformative.

The India mission follows another recent trade effort. Earlier this year, Moe joined Carney on a trip to China, where discussions led to progress on easing trade tensions, including tariff adjustments tied to agricultural products and electric vehicles.

Back home, Opposition Leader Carla Beck said she hopes the trip delivers concrete results.

Her message was straightforward: remove the pea tariffs. Beck also suggested the premier use his time with the prime minister to push for major infrastructure commitments that would benefit Saskatchewan’s long-term growth.

The timing adds political weight to the mission. Saskatchewan’s spring legislative session begins next week, meaning any announcement or lack of one could quickly become part of debate inside the legislature.

For now, much of the province’s agriculture industry will be watching closely. If trade talks with India regain traction, it could mark a turning point for farmers eager to regain stable access to one of their most important international markets.