A meeting on Tuesday with the United States Ambassador to Canada and the Consul General for Atlantic Canada provided an opportunity to strengthen trade and discuss issues of importance between our region and the United States, says Premier Robert Ghiz.
“The United States is our most important trading partner and is a key focus for investment,” said Premier Ghiz. “The provincial government has attached a high priority to expand trade, investment and tourism, and those issues were at the top of our agenda with the ambassador and the consul general.”
Ambassador David Jacobson and Consul General Richard H. Riley were in Prince Edward Island on Tuesday as the first stop of a tour of the Maritime provinces. “The Canadian Maritime provinces are key economic partners for the United States, and I always enjoy my time here,” said Ambassador Jacobson. The ambassador has travelled extensively throughout Canada to learn about the country and to meet Canadians. Among the areas on which he has concentrated his efforts are expanding bilateral trading relationships and working to strike a balance between utilizing Canada’s energy resources while preserving the environment. Premier Ghiz said that the management of Canada’s energy resources is important for all provinces, and is a key issue for the Council of the Federation.
The United States accounts for two-thirds of Prince Edward Island exports with a value of $580 million. The major exports are food products, aerospace and bioscience.
“Prince Edward Island has an ambitious investment strategy focussed on growth in several areas, and the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss emerging opportunities in this province,” said Premier Ghiz. “It is vitally important that we continue to seek new and expanded opportunities in the global economy.”