Ontario is widening eligibility for two of its tariff-relief programs, responding to a fresh round of U.S. trade measures Washington announced against Canadian exports last week.
On Sept. 8, the U.S. government outlined new measures against Canadian goods, including an additional 50 per cent tariff taking effect Sept. 15 and import bans on Canadian alcohol, dairy products and motorcycles starting Sept. 29. In response, Ontario says it will expand who can access the $1-billion Protect Ontario Financing Program (POFP) and the $150-million Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF) as each new U.S. measure comes into force.
POFP offers loans to tariff-hit businesses for costs like payroll, lease payments and utilities. OTTF offers grants or loans to small and medium-sized businesses looking to expand trade with other provinces or move their supply chains away from the U.S.
“Ontario will not back down in our fight to protect our workers and businesses from tariffs and economic uncertainty,” Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli said in a statement. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said the province’s tariff-support measures now total close to $30 billion.
The province says the expanded eligibility is part of a broader push to diversify Ontario’s economy, alongside investments in critical minerals development in the Ring of Fire, new nuclear generation at Darlington, Pickering and Bruce, and a planned Northern Shield energy corridor running from Alberta to Sarnia.
Source: Ontario Newsroom, Sept. 10, 2026.
