Chamber News

On January 19th, 2017, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) sent a letter to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs calling for continued and strengthened trade with the U.S. Businesses in Ontario and across Canada are highly integrated into the American economy, a relationship that yields considerable mutual benefits. In 2015, Ontario exported CAD $194 billion worth of goods to the U.S., while importing CAD $182 billion in American goods. That year, Canada was the largest goods export market for the U.S. as well as the top export destination for 35 states. Within Canada, Ontario was the top customer for 30 of these states.

To ensure continued economic success for both countries, it is essential that this relationship be maintained and improved. Federal, provincial, and state governments have worked together to create a more seamless and harmonized trading environment for businesses, but regulatory misalignments remain that deter business opportunities, increase costs, and inhibit trade. We hope that the governments of Canada and Ontario can maintain important working relationships with the U.S. that will lead to continued shared prosperity.

Read the Letter Here