Trump administration will close 5 smaller US consulates, including Winnipeg
Posted August 4, 2026 5:02 pm.
President Donald Trump’s administration has informed Congress that it intends to close five smaller U.S. embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in Africa, Asia and the Western Hemisphere, even as it steams ahead with plans to reopen shuttered posts in Libya and Syria and has reopened the long-closed embassy in Venezuela.
In separate notices sent late last week to lawmakers, the State Department said it would close the U.S. Embassy in the Caribbean island of Grenada; the consulates in Nagoya, Japan, and Medan, Indonesia; the American Presence Post in Winnipeg, Canada; and an embassy branch office in Douala, Cameroon.
The closures by the Republican administration are expected to save the government roughly $4.4 million per year, according to the notices obtained by The Associated Press. But the missions to be closed employ very few people compared with others.
The embassy in St. George’s, Grenada, and the consulate in Nagoya have only one American staffer and five local employees each. The consulate in Medan has four direct-hire U.S. staffers and 47 local employees. The Winnipeg post has only two local staffers, and the embassy office in Douala has only 14 local staffers.
The State Department announced plans earlier this year to permanently close the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, which was the closest diplomatic mission to Afghanistan since American troops withdrew in 2021.
The steps come as the department moves to streamline its operations at home and abroad, while investing millions of dollars into reopening the U.S. embassies in Caracas, Venezuela; Damascus, Syria; and Tripoli, Libya, to restore America’s formal diplomatic presence following the ouster of long-ruling autocrats in those countries.
Manitoba PCs ‘disappointed’ as U.S. decides to close Winnipeg consulate
Manitoba’s Opposition says the U.S. decision to close its diplomatic post in Winnipeg is disappointing and underscores Premier Wab Kinew’s failure to get things done on cross-border trade.
PC Leader Obby Khan said that despite Kinew’s government spending nearly $1 million a year on a Washington D.C. trade office, it has failed to deliver new investment or trade deals.
“Despite his promises to strengthen our relationship with the United States, Manitoba’s economy is falling further behind — and businesses and families are paying the price,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Winnipeg consulate doesn’t offer consular or visa services, but does have a representative tasked with building trade relations and advancing U.S. policy.
Kinew’s office said it would defer comment to the federal government because consulates are a federal issue.
Global Affairs Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. State Department said the decision to close the consulate in Winnipeg, and shift responsibilities to its embassy in Ottawa, reflects its commitment to efficient resource management.
It said that while the U.S. physical presence in Winnipeg is changing, policy priorities in Canada “remain steadfast.”
The planned closure comes amid tensions between Kinew and the U.S., particularly over tariffs imposed by Trump, with Manitoba retaliating last year by announcing it will no longer import U.S.-made alcohol.
Kinew has called Trump’s policies “dumb” and has labelled the president “Enemy No. 1” when it comes to the economy.
The U.S. had an official presence in Winnipeg for 113 years before the consulate was closed in 1986. The U.S. reopened the post in 2001.
