The Deputy Director for Trade Negotiations with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada gave a Trade Update during the Saskatchewan Stock Growers AGM and Convention.

During her presentation to the group, Karen Hodgson says as an exporting nation we really rely on market access and market access opportunities.

She notes our economic success really rests on our trade relationship with all of our different trading partners.

"Last year in 2017 our exports reached 64.6 billion dollars, up six percent from 2016, and Canada is the worlds fifth largest exporter of agriculture and agri-food commodities," she said. "Maintaining and enhancing the strengh of these exports is vital to acheieving our trade target of growing agriculture and agri-food exports to seventy-five billion by 2025."

She told the group when it comes to NAFTA there seems to be limited flexibility from the US but that Canada is ready and willing to meet wherever and whenever necessary to continue the discussions.

So far, there have been seven official rounds of NAFTA negotiations and technical discussions on top of that.

Hodgson says there has been quite a bit of progress made at the negotiating table, but there still are a number of gaps that remain.

"Minister Freeland has indicated that we won't engage on interlectual property which is another big ask from the US and dairy saying 'We won't be able to engage on those items until the US is able to show some sort of movement on things like a sunset clause or a dispute selttlement'. So you've heard people talking about chapter 19 and 20 as well as government percurement."

She told the group that Canada is ready and willing to meet wherever and whenever necessary to continue discussions.