New federal minister tasked with getting

OTTAWA -- One of Canada’s newest cabinet ministers is tasked with making progress on a long-running challenge: encouraging more businesses to chase opportunities beyond the comforts of North America. Adding to the pressure, Mary Ng, named to the Trudeau cabinet in July, is taking on the role as minister of small business and export promotion at a deeply uncertain time for the critical Canada-U.S. trading relationship. Industry leaders say there is a growing urgency to help Canadian businesses find overseas markets, pointing to the unknown future of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a cross-border tariff dispute and threats by U.S. President Donald Trump of more American duties on the important automotive sector. “The U.S. is an important trading partner -they will always and continue to be an important trading partner -- but looking beyond to other markets for Canadian businesses is the right thing to do and it’s an opportunity,” Ng, a Toronto-area MP who worked in the public sector for 20 years, said in an interview. “I always think it’s good to diversify.” Ng’s small business portfolio comes with an additional responsibility and title compared to her predecessor -- export promotion. She is one of three federal ministers focused on trade. International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is leading NAFTA negotiations, round out the trade trio. Ng’s focus will be spreading the word to