Ontario, Manitoba Sign Agreement to Remove Trade Barriers

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on May 14, 2025, to support the removal of barriers to trade between the two provinces.

The Ontario government states the agreement is meant to make it easier for goods, services, investment, and workers to move between Ontario and Manitoba. The move follows similar MOUs signed recently with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, as well as Ontario’s introduction of the Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act.

According to the Ontario government, the new agreement will allow for measures such as direct-to-consumer alcohol sales and improved labour mobility for qualified workers between the two provinces. Government data indicates that total interprovincial trade between Ontario and Manitoba was valued at $19.5 billion in 2021. Manitoba’s main exports to Ontario include canola oil products and conventional crude oil, while Ontario exports household goods, food, and beverages to Manitoba.

The Ontario government reports that in 2023, two-way trade in goods and services between Ontario and other provinces and territories was $326.6 billion, resulting in a trade surplus for Ontario of $41.2 billion. The government noted that 35 per cent of Canada’s overall trade is within the country’s borders.

Ontario also announced a $50 million Ontario Together Trade Fund, which the Ontario government says will provide funding for local businesses to access new interprovincial trade opportunities, according to the official statement.