Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro traveled north of the border to sign an economic partnership agreement with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, declaring that the Commonwealth remains a “warm and welcoming” partner for Canada.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed during a joint press conference at Queen’s Park in Toronto, aims to significantly deepen trade ties, secure supply chains, and expand cooperation in energy, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and technology.
During the press conference, Governor Shapiro openly criticized the White House’s trade policies and rhetoric toward Canada, including President Donald Trump’s recent threats to bypass the renewal of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and remarks joking about making Canada the “51st state.”
“I know that many Canadians—to many of them, the United States does not feel very welcoming right now,” Governor Shapiro said. “I get that, given the reckless and disrespectful rhetoric coming from our president. But hear me on this: I respect Canadian sovereignty, period.”
Shapiro noted that federal tariffs and “chaos” have already resulted in an estimated $500 million decline in trade between Ontario and Pennsylvania.
“All that chaos at the federal level in the United States is making us all worse off,” Shapiro added. “That means fewer goods available for Pennsylvanians to buy, and fewer markets for Pennsylvania businesses to sell to.”
Premier Ford echoed the sentiment, strongly disagreeing with federal claims that the U.S. does not need its northern neighbor. “We do need each other,” Ford said. “Without each other, you know, we have other countries like China coming in, cornering the market on critical minerals. We need to be there to support each other.”
Canada stands as Pennsylvania’s largest international trading partner, with bilateral trade between the Commonwealth and Ontario alone topping $20.5 billion (CAD) in 2025. Ontario is also Pennsylvania’s number-one export destination worldwide.
“There’s only 29 miles between the Port of Erie and Port Dover,” Shapiro noted, highlighting the close geographic and economic proximity. “There’s not a lot of room separating us, and there’s an opportunity for us to strengthen our ties and come even closer together.”
| Key Trade Figures | Details |
| Total 2025 Ontario-PA Trade | $20.5 Billion (CAD) |
| Top PA Exports to Canada | Steel, aluminum, pharmaceuticals, technology, and chocolate |
| Tourism Impact | ~500,000 Canadian visitors to Pennsylvania annually |
A central pillar of the newly signed MOU is energy infrastructure. The agreement establishes a blueprint for an electricity transmission and trade framework. It intends to connect Pennsylvania’s power grid more seamlessly with Ontario’s rapidly expanding clean energy supply—particularly as Ontario aggressively builds out its advanced nuclear capacity, including the first small modular reactors in the G7.
