OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 17, 2026 /CNW/ -- This past weekend, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food joined His Excellency Mark Wiseman, Canada's Ambassador to the United States to attend the Iowa State Fair and meet with government officials and agriculture leaders.

The Iowa State Fair brings together stakeholders from all areas of the sector to celebrate excellence in agriculture, mark tradition and advance innovation. Throughout the event, Minister MacDonald highlighted the importance of the Canada-U.S. trading relationship and reinforced Canada as a reliable trading partner.

The Minister also met with key U.S. agricultural leaders and industry stakeholders where they discussed shared priorities and highlighted the complementary agri-food relationship that brings value to both economies.

The Minister met with Iowa Governor, Kim Reynolds, to continue important discussions on the deeply integrated partnership between the state and Canada. He later attended the Governor's Charity Steer Show.

At the fairgrounds, the Minister engaged with Glenn (G.T) Thompson, Chairman of the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee and Brent Johnson, President of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, where they reflected on their shared support for farmers on both sides of the border.

Minister MacDonald also met with Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig to discuss areas of mutual interest and the highly integrated Canada-Iowa agricultural relationship. They also took part in the Celebrity Pork Grilling Event.

On the margins of the Fair, Minister MacDonald participated in two roundtable discussions with stakeholders in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors to emphasize the role Canada plays in U.S. supply chains as a reliable source of high-quality and affordable agricultural products and inputs to the U.S..

Quote

"Our Farmers work hard to feed their communities and people around the world. I've seen firsthand just how strong our partnership with the United States truly is and it's vitally important that we continue working together—as nations and as close friends."

-     The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Quick facts

• Canada and the U.S. enjoy one of the largest bilateral agricultural trading relationships in the world, creating jobs and economic opportunities in both countries.
• In 2025, the Canada-U.S. agriculture, agri-food and seafood trading relationship was valued at $101.2 billion.
• Canada is the second agriculture and agri-food export market for Iowa. In 2025, bilateral agriculture, agri-food and seafood trade between Canada and Iowa was $3 billion (CAD).

Associated links

• CUSMA

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SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada