Saskatchewan’s exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations market rose by 91.3 per cent last year, hitting a record $2.9 billion. Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison says Saskatchewan is Canada’s leading exporter to the ASEAN region. The top products are potash, wheat and semi-chemical wood pulp.

As an example, of Saskatchewan’s international network, Harrison points to the government’s office in Vietnam. He says that office has been working with the Saskatchewan Research Council to facilitate collaborations and partnerships with the Vietnamese government, industry and research institutes on rare earth and sustainable mining initiatives. The University of Regina’s two missions to Vietnam last year resulted in eight institutional agreements.

The ASEAN region is an intergovernmental organization comprised of the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Vietnam.