An Assessment of the Saskatchewan Provincial Government Export Promotion Program

The purpose of this study was to assess the scope of the Saskatchewan Government's export promotion program by making comparisons with the export programs of the federal government and the other provincial governments. The study was motivated by the almost total lack of information on this topic in the literature. The methodology of the research included a survey of available government documents on export promotion, personal interviews with government officials and a mail questionnaire to all provincial governments. Results indicated that the scope of export assistance offered by the Saskatchewan Government was generally more limited than in most other provinces. The programs available in Saskatchewan were found to be, for the most part, similar in nature to the programs offered by most other provincial governments. While the Saskatchewan Government attempted to supplement export services offered by the federal government, a significant gap had been left with respect to export promotion in the United States. Budgetary restraints had reduced Saskatchewan's export promotion activities in all foreign countries. As many federal programs apply only to countries outside Canada and the United States, Saskatchewan exporters were left without formal, ongoing government assistance programs with respect to their largest export market, the United States. It was further discovered, however, that the Saskatchewan Government was considering the establishment of promotional programs specifically for the United States, so this gap may be filled in the near future