U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on proposed American protectionist policies are making some of our local politicians a little nervous.

Trump formally withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership this week and on Sunday Trump announced he will start renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The Pembina Valley has a vibrant manufacturing sector that sells a lot of product into the U.S. and employs thousands in this region.

"We have some companies that send about 85 per cent of their production to the U.S. and there are a number of them around the region," said Martin Harder, mayor for the city of Winkler. "It would absolutely be devastating if, all of sudden, they were taken out of the picture."

Harder admits, at first glance, Trump's "America First" policy doesn't look promising for Canadian companies, but he feels the two countries have a strong trade relationship that goes way back.

"Not only are we reliant on trade with the U.S., they are also very reliant on trade with Canada. We are equal partners and I guess we're hoping that his concern will be directed at other countries rather than at Canada; a country that has been a very friendly trade partner with the U.S. for the length of our histories."

Morden's mayor agrees there is a strong history between the two countries when it comes to cross border trade, but he's not so sure that history will have much value to the new American president.

"President Trump is a bit of wild card, so we really don't know," said Wiebe. "It's a whole new administration, so we'll see how they view things, because they're the ones holding the reins."

Wiebe would like to see the exact details of Trump's plan on trade, especially when it comes to Canada, and suggested that until that plan is released, it will be business as usual.

"Our largest market for goods is the U.S. and that involves NAFTA. It really hasn't been redone since it was first introduced 20 or 25 years ago, so I think for now we'll just have to see how things work out."

Both Wiebe and Harder agree that it will be imperative for the federal government to take a conciliatory approach to renegotiating a new NAFTA deal with U.S.

"We need to try and work with them rather than opposing everything that they're doing," said Harder.

Elmer Friesen, owner of Elmer's Manufacturing located in Rhineland Municipality, agrees with Harder that Canada needs to work with the U.S. to resolve any issues with NAFTA. The company manufactures farm machinery and equipment, some of which it has sold into the U.S. for a number of years.

"NAFTA has definitely made things a lot easier and if that goes away we're probably going back quite a few years in time where it was very hard to figure out what documentation you needed to make it across," said Friesen.

Friesen says selling goods into the American market is fairly simple since it is very similar to the Canadian market, making it easy for companies like his to adapt. He's hopeful that trade relationship can continue.

"From our perspective, we didn't think it was an unfair system, but obviously Mr. Trump thinks differently."