The trade office promised last year to push Manitoba’s interests in Washington, D.C., has officially opened its doors.
The province announced the opening June 24. The office will “develop relationships with U.S. lawmakers, industry leaders and trade officials to promote strong ties with Manitoba,” according to a release.
It will also make sure that the province is considered when high-level trade deals are negotiated, such as the soon-to-be-reviewed Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), Premier Wab Kinew said.
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“Manitoba has what America needs, and a trade office in the heart of the Capitol will strengthen trade ties and protect Manitoba jobs as we navigate the economic uncertainty we’re all facing,” Kinew said.
The office will be led by a new Manitoba trade representative to the United States, and a former CBC reporter and White House correspondent, Richard Madan, has been chosen for the post.
Madan “has the knowledge, skill set and connections in Washington to speak the language of the Trump administration and be a voice for Manitobans in the White House,” Kinew said.
He has covered Canadian and American politics for more than two decades, the province noted.
“Manitoba should have a voice at the table and I’m ready to use my experience and relationships with Washington insiders to help get the best deal for Manitoba workers and their families,” Madan said in the same release.
“Manitoba and the U.S. have been trading partners for a long time, but the rules of engagement have changed under the Trump administration. I understand the U.S. and I know how to talk to these folks — Republicans and Democrats.”
Madan is currently meeting with local industry, labour representatives, Indigenous leaders and government officials, including cabinet ministers and Manitoba’s adviser on Canada-U.S. relations, Gary Doer, the province said.
The province announced its new trade office last December as Canada raced to prepare for tariffs that U.S. president Donald Trump, then still president-elect, had threatened to bring in following his January inauguration.
The months following Trump’s electoral win in November 2024 saw a long list of emergency trade trips from both politicians and industry that were meant to prepare Canada for a potentially damaging trade war.
