Ontario has signed a bevy of trade agreements with other provinces at a meeting in Saskatoon between the country’s premiers and the prime minister, as leaders race to try and reduce internal trade barriers in the face of U.S. tariffs.
On Sunday, Premier Doug Ford signed memoranda of understanding with his counterparts in Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Alberta, mutually promising to remove interprovincial frictions on trade.
“By signing these agreements and working together, we’re helping Canada unlock up to $200 billion in economic potential and standing shoulder to shoulder to protect the future of Canadian workers across the country, not just in Ontario,” Ford said in a statement.
The agreements are the latest in a string of similar signings, which also include Nova Scotia, Manitoba and New Brunswick. They are part of a push led by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Ford to reduce different trade rules and regulatory standards between jurisdictions.
Provinces have a variety of regulations and trade rules that differ from one part of the country to another. Those range from safety and signage standards to alcohol sales.
Get breaking National news
Since U.S. President Donald Trump levied 25 per cent tariffs on vehicles, steel and aluminum, and threatened more on Canada, an internal push has tried to make it easier to trade domestically.
It appears to have the support of many premiers and Prime Minister Mark Carney as well. On Friday, before the signings, Ford told reporters he was hopeful more deals were still to be thrashed out.
“We’ll be working with B.C., I’ve been talking to Francious Legault and we look forward to sitting down with Quebec as well,” he said.
Last month, Ontario tabled interprovincial trade legislation, designed to remove the barriers it puts up against neighbouring provinces.
As part of the changes, the government is pushing to allow health-care professionals trained in other places to begin working immediately, while they wait for their qualifications to be recognized by provincial colleges.
The same principle would be applied to other industries, like electricians, who could work for up to six months while they complete an application to officially move.
Broader technical standards are also set to be harmonized.
Ontario said it is working to recognize other provinces’ standards for things like high-visibility vests or truck signage so workers don’t need to change when crossing provincial borders.
The province estimated that two-way internal trade in 2023 was worth $326 billion.
Comments