A re-elected Liberal Government will remain focused on growing and strengthening New Brunswick’s trade relations.

A re-elected Liberal Government will continue to focus on enhancing trade by working with our partners to:

• Strengthen the trading relationship with the United States;
• Work diligently to defend the New Brunswick forestry industry in the wake of unwarranted tariffs imposed by the United Sates, and making strategic investments in the sector that will lead to the creation of jobs;
• Further diversify our international export markets;
• Reduce barriers to internal trade within Canada;
• Increase the overall competitiveness of New Brunswick businesses, and;
• Invest to assist export-oriented small businesses in growing their exports and diversifying their markets;
• Ensure that New Brunswick’s industries are supported in taking full advantage of the benefits from freer trade with Europe thanks to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

“We will invest to help New Brunswick businesses innovate so they can send their products and services to markets around the world in a competitive way. By reducing barriers to internal trade we will grow our domestic exports and provide better prices for New Brunswick consumers. We will work hard to strengthen our trading relationship with our largest customer, the United States, while enhancing our efforts to increase exports to other countries around the world”, said Gallant. “We will also stand up for New Brunswick workers against the unfair and unwarranted U.S. tariffs on our softwood lumber.”

The Gallant Government has taken numerous actions since 2014 to protect and expand New Brunswick’s export markets. This has included:

• Creating Opportunities NB as a focused, one-stop shop for exporters;
• Creating a new capital program to assist small business exporters;

Interprovincial:

• Making trade the principal agenda point at the New Brunswick-hosted meeting of all Canadian premiers in 2018;
• Working to diversify our exports and establish new trade opportunities by working to reduce barriers to internal trade within Canada, and increasing competitiveness;

International:

• Undertaking multiple trade missions to China and the European Union with New Brunswick businesses, helping them find more customers;
• Helping establish New Brunswick as the third largest producer of maple syrup in the world by increasing the amount of land available for production, by supporting business expansion and modernization, and by leveraging the tourism potential of maple syrup;
• Helping to put New Brunswick on track to become a global leader in blueberry production, thanks in part to investments and planning, including making more land available for production, establishing collaboration agreements between growers and processors, attracting new investments in the sector, and opening up new foreign trade markets.;
• Helping to increase exports in the fish and seafood by over 50 per cent since 2014 through strategic investments and efforts to develop new markets abroad, such as a partnership with the federal government to create an Atlantic Fisheries Fund that will increase access to the European market.

A successful example of New Brunswick’s trade infrastructure is Port Saint John, which is home to a key trade link between New Brunswick and the world. “Port Saint John is a critical piece of trade infrastructure in New Brunswick, with access to over 500 ports around the world. We’ve been pleased with both the provincial and federal investments in the Port and look forward to continuing to increase and diversify trade here in New Brunswick,” said Jim Quinn, President & CEO of Port Saint John. “We have world class products and businesses and it is encouraging to see the commitment to getting these products and services to market.”

The Gallant Liberal Government developed the multi-year New Brunswick Economic Growth Plan, which aims to grow the economy and create job opportunities for New Brunswick citizens. The plan focuses on strategic investments in infrastructure, in the responsible development of New Brunswick’s natural resources, in fostering innovation within traditional industries as well as emerging ones like cyber security, in supporting small businesses, in developing a skilled workforce, and in boosting growth sectors like tourism. The Liberal Government’s plan has successfully turned around an economy in decline. Over the past four years:

• Government contributed to the creation of 15,000 jobs;
• The economy has grown every year compared to retraction under the Conservatives;
• The unemployment rate has gone from 10.1 percent to around 8 percent; and
• As of 2017, New Brunswick has the largest population in its history.
• Government surpassed deficit targets due to our economy growing faster than the private sector has predicted, and the auditor general has confirmed that government has a budget surplus in New Brunswick for 2017-18.