Trade and tariff resources

The Government of Ontario Regional Development Program - Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream, provides financial support to advanced manufacturing companies with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises across Ontario. Eligible companies can get support to make investments in technology, equipment or skills to improve your competitiveness.

Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) provides expert advice and financing solutions to help Canadian businesses make smart, considered decisions to help you succeed and mitigate risks when dealing with the impacts of tariffs. The minimum revenue requirement for businesses applying to tariff-related programs has been lowered to $1 million.

BDC's Pivot to Grow loan can help businesses boost cash flow and cover expenses as they adapt to changing economic conditions. Businesses can receive up to $5 million to help manage the impact of tariffs on Canadian exports. In August 2026, BDC expanded this program with a new liquidity stream to help small businesses manage cash flow pressures caused by the latest U.S. tariffs.

The new Pivot to Grow liquidity stream offers:

• loans from $250,000 to $5 million
• 0% interest for the first 12 months
• interest only-payments for 36 months
• amortization over 96 months 

Check your eligibility

The FCC Trade Disruptions Customer Support Program supports the Canadian agriculture and food industry through tariffs. The program has been extended until March 5, 2027. 

Supports include:

• defer principal payments for up to 12 months on existing loans for current customers
• get additional support with a term loan

Large Enterprise Tariff Loan (LETL) is a new financing facility announced by the Government of Canada to provide financing support for large Canadian enterprises affected by new or potential tariffs and countermeasures and which face challenges accessing traditional sources of financing.

In August 2026, new flexibilities were announced and will be administered by the Canadian Enterprise Emergency Funding Corporation. These changes will provide large employers with more time and flexibility to manage through this period by:

• increasing liquidity support from 24 to 36 months of a company’s liquidity needs; and
• increasing the maximum loan term from 10 to 15 years

The Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF) helps businesses make near-term investments to reach more customers across Canada, enter new markets, and strengthen local supply chains in response to U.S. tariffs.

Projects must help businesses deal with U.S. trade disruptions and support Ontario’s economic goals, including building stronger and more diverse trade relationships.

The Protect Ontario Financing Program has expanded to support businesses impacted by Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper and automobiles, as well as businesses whose exports are affected by the new Section 338 tariffs. The program provides critical financing for payroll, lease and utility payments, helping Ontario businesses cover everyday expenses, stay resilient and keep workers on the job.

The Government of Canada is providing $3.5 billion to Rapid Response Supports for Workers and Employers to help Canadians affected by tariffs.

Support for Workers

This will make it easier for workers to access income support and find employment by:

• extending by one year the temporary Employment Insurance (EI) measure to waive the 1-week waiting period
• extending by one year the temporary EI measure that allows workers to receive EI benefits without first using up their separation payments (such as severance or vacation pay)
• extending by 8 months the temporary EI measure that provides an extra 20 weeks of EI regular benefits for long-tenured workers
• introducing a new temporary measure for one year so that workers who have voluntarily left jobs in recent months are no longer penalized when they want to access EI, as long as their most recent job loss is through no fault of their own
• increasing support for connecting workers with new employment opportunities through JobBank.gc.ca

Support for Employers

This will also assist employers in keeping their workforce through a difficult period by:

• establishing a new Workforce Retention and Retraining Program that will bring together the existing EI Work-Sharing program and Worker Retention Grant into a single, streamlined program
• new and existing Work-Sharing flexibilities will be supported and employers will be eligible for additional funds to cover training and administrative costs (up to $1,000 per participant)

The Regional Tariff Initiative (RTRI) provides $1 billion over 3 years to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and sectors impacted by tariffs, strengthening the competitiveness of Canadian businesses by helping them boost productivity, cut costs, build more resilient supply chains and reach new markets. Funding up to $10 million in repayable funding and up to $1 million in non-repayable funding.

In August 2026, an additional $1.5 billion was invested to help provide liquidity supports to manage the pressures related to the new section 338 tariffs. 

The Government of Ontario Southwestern Ontario Development Fund provides support for projects and investments to growing companies for economic development in southwestern Ontario.

Strategic Response Fund (SRF) helps Canadian industries innovate, adapt and compete in a changing global economy. The SRF supports large-scale, transformative projects that build economic resilience, strengthen supply chains and protect good jobs in key sectors such as steel, aluminum, automotive, forest products, AI and advanced technologies.

In August 2026, a new $2 billion funding stream was announced through the SRF’s Canada Strong Diversification Fund. It will support tariff-impacted companies with shovel-ready projects and ongoing capital maintenance, including medium-sized businesses.