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Ontario and Manitoba ink deal to boost interprovincial trade

  • The Canadian Press

  • Canadian Press

  • May 14, 2025

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, second from left, speaks to reporters with, from left to right, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, and Quebec Premier Francois Legault as Canada's premiers hold a press conference to close the Council of the Federation meetings in Halifax on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

TORONTO -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew have signed an agreement to boost the movement of goods and labour between the provinces.

The premiers signed a memorandum of understanding today that includes direct-to-consumer alcohol sales as part of increasing trade.

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

Ontario has also tabled legislation to do away with all internal trade barriers.

Nova Scotia has already passed a similar bill and Prince Edward Island recently introduced legislation to eliminate barriers to trade and labour mobility with reciprocating jurisdictions.

Two-way trade between Ontario and Manitoba stood at $19.5 billion in 2021.

This report by was first published May 14, 2025.