Ontario and Michigan agreement aims to strengthen economic ties

Officials in Ontario and Michigan say a new partnership will increase trade, attract investment and encourage job creation in both jurisdictions.

The new Economic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aims to support joint initiatives in priority areas, such as electric vehicles and related supply chains.

These initiatives could include joint trade promotion and missions, new post-secondary exchange programs, and efforts to identify opportunities for strategic partnerships that will help businesses compete internationally.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday by Premier Doug Ford and Governor Gretchen Whitmer during a virtual ceremony. 

They were joined by Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Ford says Ontario and Michigan share deep economic ties as partners, neighbours and friends.

"This agreement will help open even more opportunities to work together and drive further economic growth. As we navigate global uncertainty, now is the time to strengthen this important relationship to build our economies, further integrate our supply chains and create good-paying jobs on both sides of the border," he said.

Whitmer says as home to the busiest border crossing for goods between the U.S. and Canada, Michigan and Ontario have deeply shared economic interests on issues from future mobility to agriculture.

"Canada was the top destination for Michigan exports last year, putting $27 billion into our economy and creating thousands of jobs across our state. Today’s Memorandum of Understanding will reaffirm our partnership and foster greater collaboration on trade, technology, cybersecurity, agriculture, and more."

Ontario and Michigan share the busiest border crossing in North America and are each other’s largest trading partner with total trade valued at over CAD $80.6 billion last year.

Under the new Ontario-Michigan MOU, the two jurisdictions hope to work together to identify opportunities for strategic partnership and joint trade promotion, improve access to information and facilitate more efficient border crossings.

In addition to collaborating on electric vehicle adoption and related supply chains, other priority sectors include advanced technology, cybersecurity, agriculture and rural development, alternative clean fuels and travel and tourism.

As part of the MOU, Ontario and Michigan will establish a Procurement Cooperation Council. 

The council will support an open dialogue on government procurement, improving transparency and engagement on government purchasing for businesses from both jurisdictions.

Fedeli says strengthening the relationship with their partners in Michigan will help create the right conditions to ensure that businesses in both jurisdictions, including those in our auto sector, remain globally competitive.

"As we continue to build Ontario’s end-to-end electric vehicle supply chain and other priority sectors, we look forward to working with Michigan on initiatives to help businesses grow and create more good-paying jobs," he said.

The agreement with Michigan is part of the Ontario government’s strategy for trade with the U.S. 

As part of the strategy, Ontario is pursuing additional agreements with other U.S. states to improve access to investment and government procurement opportunities in the U.S. for Ontario businesses.