Doug Ford en route to Washington for trade mission
Posted March 20, 2022 1:27 pm.
Last Updated March 20, 2022 1:40 pm.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is en route for Washington, D.C., where he will meet with top officials to discuss business operations and advocate “against harmful protectionist policies.”
The visit is Ford’s first trip to the U.S. following the Canada-U.S. border blockades over COVID-19 pandemic measures.
The Premier says his plan to meet with U.S. officials in Washington is to validate “that Ontario is a safe and reliable jurisdiction for investment and business.”
“As we attract more skilled workers and build the roads, highways, bridges and transit needed to move our economy forward, we’re meeting face-to-face with some of our closest partners to reaffirm the unrivalled potential of Ontario’s economy,” Ford said in a statement.
“That’s why it’s so important that we reject Buy American measures and instead keep working shoulder to shoulder to ensure that our highly integrated economies grow stronger than ever.”
Ford will meet with Kirsten Hillman, Ambassador of Canada to the United States and Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.
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Joining Ford will be Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development and trade. A discussion will focus on how Ontario can be promoted as a safe and reliable for jobs across the border.
In February, Ford declared a state of emergency to end costly border blockages and what he called the “siege” in Ottawa connected to COVID-19 vaccine mandate protests.
Saying Ontario’s economy is “built on trade,” Ford cited the monetary implications of the trucker protest at the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor and Detroit.
The meeting with U.S. officials comes amidst a global surge in gas prices due to Russia’s war of invading Ukraine.
Ford said last month he would revisit a long-promised gas tax cut while also calling out the carbon tax for nullifying prior savings his government tried to enforce for drivers.
In the 2018 provincial election, one of Ford’s campaign pledges was to lower gas prices by 10 cents per litre.
