TORONTO — Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says the state of New York has dropped proposed Buy American provisions that could have harmed businesses in the province.
The state had intended to include in its budget a policy that would give preference to American-made goods and products in any new procurements worth more than $100,000.
Ontario urged New York to reconsider, sending the minister of economic development and the minister of international trade down to meet with legislators.
Wynne says Ontario’s economy is “deeply interconnected” with New York state’s, which supports jobs in both regions.
Last year there was about $30 billion in trade between the two jurisdictions.
Wynne says that if the Buy American provision had passed, Ontario’s cabinet had discussed introducing legislation to allow the province to respond “strongly.”
Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid said the policy would have had a “significant” impact on Ontario companies working in infrastructure, such as those in the information and communication technologies sector, service companies, manufacturers and construction companies.