Premier Moe scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in first trip to Washington

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is making his maiden trip to Washington D.C. while an international trade war brews.

Moe has more than a dozen meetings scheduled over the next two days with U.S. officials, including members of the Trump administration and members of the senate and congress.

The list includes, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt.

"I'll be impressing the impact on the jobs in our province," Moe said last week. "I'm looking forward to engaging them on all things Saskatchewan and the great trading relationship we have with multiple states across the U.S."

It will be Moe's first ever trip to the American capital. The meetings were arranged with the help of U.S. lobbyists on the province's payroll.

Last April, Premier Brad Wall spent three days in Washington. He also met with Ross and Pruitt, among others.

The trip had been in the works before last week's decision by the U.S. to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the EU. Ross announced tariffs of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum.

The Trudeau government responded by placing dollar-for-dollar tariffs on steel and aluminum and other products including, beer kegs, maple syrup and prepared mustard. The new Canadian tariffs would kick in July 1.

Moe noted that 55 per cent of Saskatchewan's exports go to the U.S. while 85 per cent of imports come from the U.S.

Moe said Evraz Steel in Regina and the 1,000 jobs there are among his top concerns as is prepared mustard because of Saskatchewan's production of mustard seed.

"I don't think any trade war is productive in any way," Moe said after the Liberal government announced it's retaliatory tariffs last Thursday.

"We do support them (countermeasures) and think they are necessary at this time," Moe said.

The U.S., Canada and Mexico have been in the process of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement for months. On Tuesday, Donald Trump's economic adviser said the president's preference is separate negotiations with Canada and Mexico.