TORONTO—As a next step in its plan to protect Ontario by unleashing the province’s economy, the Ontario government is introducing the Protect Ontario through Free Trade within Canada Act to unlock free trade and labour mobility within Canada. This legislation will, if passed, create new opportunities for job creation and investment attraction, supporting economic integration across Canada and cutting costly and unnecessary red tape to help protect and grow Ontario and Canada’s economies.
“For too long, we’ve let red tape and endless regulations hold back our economy, making us vulnerable to external threats, including from (US) President Trump’s tariffs,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Not anymore. The legislation we are introducing will make Ontario a national leader when it comes to trade between provinces and territories, so we can strengthen and unify Canada and create new markets and opportunities for Ontario workers and goods.”
Trade barriers within Canada cost the economy up to $200 billion each year and lower gross domestic product by nearly eight percent. These barriers also increase the cost of goods and services Ontario families rely on by up to 14.5 percent, at a time when families are already struggling from increased costs due to tariffs. Ontario is leading the charge to tear down these barriers to unlock Canada’s full economic potential.
Ontario’s plan, including the measures in the Protect Ontario through Free Trade within Canada Act, will support free trade and mobility across Canada by becoming the first province in Canada to remove all its party-specific exceptions (PSEs) under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) without exception and encouraging other provinces and territories and the federal government to follow suit; allowing workers from other parts of the country to come and work in Ontario by enabling the government to remove labour mobility barriers, reduce administrative burdens and simplify the movement of certified workers across Canada. By expanding labour mobility with new “As of Right” rules, Ontario will allow certified workers from other provinces and territories to begin working in Ontario immediately while they complete a streamlined registration process; enabling mutual recognition with reciprocating province and territories, so that goods, services and registered workers that are good enough for other part of Canada are recognized as good enough for sale, use or work in Ontario; moving to allow more regulated health professionals in good standing to begin practicing in Ontario while they wait for registration in an Ontario health regulatory college and removing restrictions on where they may work using “As of Right” rules. The government will also begin consultations to allow American health professionals, including doctors and nurses, to be included under these new “As of Right” rules; enabling direct-to-consumer alcohol sales with reciprocating provinces and territories so that consumers will be able to purchase alcohol directly from producers across Canada for personal consumption; establishing a “Buy Ontario, Buy Canadian” day held on the last Friday in June to help consumers support local businesses and workers through programs such as Ontario Made, Ontario Wood, VQA and Foodland Ontario.
Ontario is also launching the new $50 million Ontario Together Trade Fund to help businesses make near-term investments so they can serve more interprovincial customers, develop new markets and re-shore critical supply chains, strengthening Ontario’s trade security and diversification.
