Premier Wynne Returning to U.S. to Advocate for Free Trade

Premier to Attend National Governors Association Winter Meeting

Following productive meetings in the U.S. earlier this month, Premier Kathleen Wynne will return to Washington, D.C., tomorrow to continue forging connections with U.S. partners and advocating for Ontario workers and businesses at the National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting.
The NGA Winter Meeting brings government leaders together to discuss some of the most pressing issues affecting North America, including trade, international partnership, innovation and workforce development, agriculture and the opioid crisis.

While in Washington, Premier Wynne will continue to highlight the value of Ontario-U.S. partnerships and explore potential new cooperation agreements during planned meetings with key governors, including Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.

Premier Philippe Couillard of Québec will also attend the NGA, where he and Premier Wynne will continue to work in concert to promote the value of free trade and open procurement that creates good jobs for workers in both Canada and the U.S. As part of that work, Premiers Wynne and Couillard will hold planned joint meetings with Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.

While at the NGA, Premier Wynne will participate in a panel hosted by the Washington International Trade Association that will focus on NAFTA’s impact in states and provinces, as well as an NGA panel with governors and other international representatives, which will emphasize the importance of international partnerships in a time of global uncertainty. The Premier will also sit down with Steve Clemons, Washington Editor-at-Large of The Atlantic, to discuss the importance of bilateral trade to the Ontario economy, the role of a modernized NAFTA, progressive policy and the state of leadership today.

Promoting trade and partnership while protecting Ontario’s economic interests is part of Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario is a top customer of 28 U.S. states, and in 2017 two-way trade between Ontario and the U.S. totaled nearly $400 billion.
• The National Governors Association was founded in 1908 and is the collective voice of U.S. governors. In July 2017, Premier Wynne attended the NGA Summer Meeting in Rhode Island.
• Since January 2017, Premier Wynne has met or spoken with 33 U.S. governors.