Ontario and Manitoba Initiate Free Trade

On May 14th Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Premier Wab Kinew of Manitoba signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the removal of barriers to free trade between their two provinces.

• Ontario and Manitoba agreed to boost the flow of goods, services, investment and workers, including through direct-to-consumer sales of alcohol and improved interprovincial labour mobility.
• In 2021, the value of total interprovincial trade between Ontario and Manitoba stood at $19.5 billion
• Among Manitoba’s top exports to Ontario are canola oil products and conventional crude oil; among Ontario’s top exports to Manitoba are household goods, food and beverages.
• In 2023, Ontario exported $183.9 billion of goods and services to other provinces and territories and imported $142.7 billion, resulting in two-way trade of $326.6 billion and a trade surplus of $41.2 billion.

Ontario recently signed similar MOUs with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

For the government’s News Release, click on the following link: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005911/ontario-and-manitoba-sign-memorandum-of-understanding-to-tear-down-interprovincial-trade-barriers