Gov. Brian Kemp has traveled to Canada to attend a trade conference. The purpose of the trip is to strengthen economic alliances between the southeastern states and Canadian provinces.
The conference, known as the Southeast U.S.-Canadian Provinces Alliance conference, is expected to run through June 10th. The alliance was established in the late 2000s to promote cross-border collaboration.
The alliance has also enhanced trade opportunities between southeastern states and Canadian industries. Georgia has surprisingly benefited from this relationship, given that Canada is its fifth-largest trading partner.
However, this trade relationship has been tested by the tariffs that President Donald Trump enacted in January 2025. Canada retaliated, and that has strained relations even more.
Gov. Kemp announced his trip on X. He stated, “(My wife) and I are in Canada for the next several days to meet with business partners operating in our state and promoting the Georgia Way to other job creators who can bring opportunity and investment to the Peach State!”
This came with the announcement that Kemp had met with Anatolia, a leading supplier of tiles and ceramics. Anatolia runs a facility in Savannah, GA, and employs 135 Georgians. Kemp commented that more jobs would open up at this facility.
Kemp has also taken the opportunity to meet with the premiers of Ontario and New Brunswick. He first met with the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford. Kemp commented, “Our team met with (Premier Doug Ford) in Ontario yesterday. Enjoyed our discussion and our shared appreciation for the game of football!”
He then met with the Premier of New Brunswick, Susan Holt. Kemp commented, “We also had the opportunity to meet with (Premier Susan Holt) while in New Brunswick yesterday. We’re thankful for her and her team’s hospitality and a great discussion!”
Tariffs between the U.S. and Canada are still quite high, but Georgia’s ties with Canada remain strong.
