Ontario expanding support program eligibility from latest U.S. trade actions
September 29, 2026
Global Korean Post
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In response to the United States government’s latest import ban on Canadian alcohol, dairy products and motorcycles, the Ontario government is expanding eligibility under the Protect Ontario Financing Program (POFP) to these sectors to protect impacted workers and businesses.
The POFP continues to support businesses still subject to existing section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper and automotives, as well as a broad range of goods previously tariffed under the section 338.
The U.S. import ban builds on a series of punitive trade actions levied by the U.S. government against Canadian exports, including an additional 50 per cent tariff on a range of products that took effect on September 15.
The Ontario government took immediate action to broaden the eligibility of the province’s trade programs, allowing newly affected businesses to access immediate supports in the form of loans and grants that would help them diversify into new markets and reshore supply chains away from the U.S.
The $1 billion POFP provides immediate relief for Ontario businesses impacted by tariffs and trade disruptions by providing loans that can be used for costs such as payroll, lease payments and utilities.
The government is also expanding eligibility under the Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF). The $150 million OTTF provides grants or loans to small and medium-sized Ontario businesses to help them expand interprovincial trade and reshore supply chains away from the U.S.
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Edited by Global Korean Post
