REGINA — Statistics Canada data show Saskatchewan’s trade relationship with the United Kingdom (UK), France and the Netherlands continued to strengthen in 2023, driven by a demand for uranium.
The combined total value of exports for these three nations totalled nearly $1.2 billion.
The main driver of these exports was uranium, which accounted for 87.3 per cent of exports to the Netherlands, 70.8 per cent of exports to the UK and 47.3 per cent of exports to France. Another 25.6 per cent of exports to France came from uranium ore and concentrates.
From January to July 2024, Saskatchewan’s total exports to the Netherlands were $567.6 million, a 119.6 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023. This increase is primarily due to a 143.5 per cent increase in the value of Saskatchewan uranium exports to the Netherlands.
All three of these countries saw significant export gains in 2023 compared to 2022. Last year, Saskatchewan exported about $220.5 million of goods to France, which is a 68.7 per cent increase compared to 2022. Exports to the UK totaled $557.2 million in 2023, which is a 43.5 per cent increase from 2022, and exports to the Netherlands totaled $414.1 million, a 12.6 per cent increase from 2022.
Agri-food also saw strong growth in these countries. In 2023, Saskatchewan was France’s largest supplier of lentils, with the total value of lentil exports reaching $24.2 million, a 44.3 per cent increase from 2022. Saskatchewan was also one of the Netherland’s top suppliers of mustard seeds, exporting about $7.9 million which is a 66.5 per cent increase from 2022. In the UK, Saskatchewan exported around $96.5 million worth of non-durum wheat, an increase of 5.3 per cent from 2022. Other top exports to these countries included chickpeas, canola seed, flaxseed and potash.
In April of this year, Minister Harrison and French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness, Francophonie, and French Nationals Abroad Franck Riester signed a new Letter of Intent (LOI) to explore, develop and cooperate on new projects related to strategic mineral resources.