Building Fortress North America: Ontario’s North American Growth Plan

Message from Premier Doug Ford

Since launching the Am Can Growth Plan in January 2025, I have continued to meet regularly with American officials across party lines, governors, senators and members of Congress, along with business leaders on both sides of the border. In every conversation, I have made one thing clear: tariffs and uncertainty hurt workers, businesses and families in both our countries.

I have also been clear about something else. I love the United States. I respect the American entrepreneurial spirit. I believe deeply in what we can achieve together.

Ontario and Canada will always do what is necessary to stand up for and protect our workers and businesses. The best outcome for workers and businesses on both sides is ending uncertainty and working together to support jobs and economic growth.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, this is a defining moment for our partnership. It is time to come together on a fair trade agreement that will create more jobs, lower costs and strengthen our economic and continental security in the face of growing global competition, especially from China.

Together, we have a shared opportunity to build a true Fortress North America, anchored in the strength of the Canada–U.S. relationship and reinforced by our trilateral partnership with Mexico under a strong U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Now is the time to get it done.

Ontario is the economic engine of Canada and a critical partner to the United States. We are America’s closest ally and the largest customer for more than half of U.S. states. We supply the essentials that Americans rely on every day, including critical minerals and rare earths, electricity, uranium, manufacturing inputs, food and health products that support U.S. families, factories and defence industries.

Put simply, we build things together.

Ontario supports millions of American jobs and plays a vital role in the strength and security of our shared economy. There is nowhere else in the world where two economies are so deeply integrated. At the same time, this integration is amplified through North America’s trilateral trade framework, where strong Canada–U.S. ties help drive broader continental growth.

We have seen a constructive shift in Mexico’s approach to trade, including increased attention to issues such as transshipment and broader trade enforcement. These concrete steps reflect a continued commitment to engaging collaboratively with international partners on shared trade and economic priorities.

We now see evidence of increasing alignment—on enforcement, on transparency and on the importance of maintaining fair and secure trade flows across North America.

We look forward to working alongside Mexico to build on this momentum and strengthen cooperation—because when our trade systems work as intended, it enhances the integrity and competitiveness of all North America.

That is why it is in all our shared interests to move forward together under a renewed USMCA. A strengthened USMCA will support shared prosperity and unlock the full potential of Fortress North America.

Fortress North America is built on a simple truth: economic security is national security.

A renewed trade agreement will deliver real results for workers and families.

It will mean a jobs boom. With the right agreement in place, we can unlock billions in new investment across North American auto, steel, manufacturing, agriculture, energy and critical mineral supply chains. Together, we can end uncertainty to get projects off the sidelines and drive major job creation across the continent.

It will lower the cost of living. By reducing tariffs and strengthening our integrated supply chains, we can lower costs for businesses and pass those savings on to consumers. Ontario exports like steel, aluminum, electricity, food, critical minerals and lumber help reduce the cost of homes, vehicles, energy and everyday essentials for American families.

By working together we can address affordability, return to predictability and help bring the costs of housing and everyday essentials down so consumers pay less while businesses on both sides of the border stay competitive.

And it will strengthen national security. By working together, we can build secure and resilient supply chains for critical minerals, nuclear energy, defence production and advanced technologies. We can protect our economies, our borders and our shared future from global threats.

At the same time, a stronger North American partnership will help limit the flow of unfair imports that distort markets and undermine our workers and industries. Deepening our alliance is essential to protecting our economic strength, our democratic values and our long term competitiveness.

Trade conflict between allies only creates uncertainty and that uncertainty benefits our competitors, not our workers. We must stay focused on unity, fairness and building together.

Ontario is ready to do its part. From critical minerals and nuclear energy to advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence, we are uniquely positioned to help power the next generation of North American growth and security.

Together, let us build Fortress North America.

Doug Ford                           
Premier of Ontario

Fortress North America

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen the most important economic partnership in the world. At a time of rising global competition, especially from China, Canada and the United States must come together to create jobs, lower costs and lock in our shared economic and national security, while reinforcing the strength of our broader North American alliance.

North America is already a global economic powerhouse, with more than 500 million people and approximately 30 per cent of global GDP. At its core is the unmatched Canada–U.S. partnership, one of the deepest and most integrated economic relationships in the world. Together, we support trillions of dollars in economic activity and millions of jobs.

In 2025 alone, over $877B USD in goods and services moved between our countries, more than $2.4B USD every day. The U.S. sells more goods to Canada than to China, the United Kingdom and Germany combined.

Ontario sits right at the centre of that partnership.

In 2025, Ontario and the United States did more than $336B USD in two way goods trade, with almost perfect balance. If Ontario were a country, it would be America’s third largest trading partner. We are the number one customer for 11 U.S. states and number two for 15 others. Every day, millions of Americans go to work making products that are sold into Ontario.

This is not just trade. This is a shared economy.

We do not just buy and sell from each other. We build things together.

Ontario is the economic engine of Canada and a critical partner to the United States. We are a top customer for more than half of all U.S. states and a reliable supplier of what Americans need to grow and compete: critical minerals and rare earths, electricity, uranium, advanced manufacturing inputs, food and essential goods that keep factories running, homes powered and supply chains moving.

If we want to stay competitive globally, we need to act like it.

Achieving Fortress North America means getting back to basics: renewing USMCA with minimal disruption, eliminating tariffs between trusted partners and going further together in the sectors that matter most. A strong and stable trilateral agreement, anchored by the Canada–U.S. relationship and strengthened through partnership with Mexico, is essential to unlocking the full potential of our continent.

Recent actions by Mexico to respond to concerns raised about its previous approach to transshipment and trade enforcement are welcomed and demonstrate a strong recognition of the benefits of fair and secure trade flows across Fortress North America.

Building Fortress North America also means protecting our key industries from external pressures that threaten our shared domestic market, such as bringing in Chinese-made EVs and undermining the investments made into our North American auto sector. True continental security requires building our future with North American steel, local supply chains and trusted partners, rather than opening our borders to heavily subsidized foreign competition.

Done right, this will deliver real results: more jobs, lower costs and stronger security.

At the same time, closer alignment across North America will help push back against unfair trade practices and non-market interference that put our workers and industries at risk.

To get there, we need to work together to:

• Promote Free, Fair and Balanced Trade (Canada/Ontario-U.S.-Mexico)
• Grow our Economies for Workers (Canada/Ontario-U.S.-Mexico)
• Accelerate Strategic Resource Development (Canada/Ontario-U.S.)
• Achieve Energy Security to Power North American Economic Growth (Canada/Ontario-U.S.)
• Protect our Land, Air, Arctic, Water and Communities (Canada/Ontario-U.S.)
• Enhance our Data and Research and Development Security (Canada/Ontario-U.S.)

This will take leadership at every level of government. States, provinces and federal governments all have a role to play, and we need to be moving in the same direction.

The bottom line is simple.

We have the workers.
We have the resources.
We have the shared values.
Now we need the agreement.

The opportunity is in front of us: strengthen our economies, secure our supply chains and deliver real results for workers and families across North America.

Let’s build Fortress North America.

Promote Free, Fair and Balanced Trade

Free trade needs to be fair, for workers, businesses and for every country at the table.

Fair trade means balanced, mutually beneficial trade across Canada, the United States and Mexico. It means workers in all three countries benefit through good jobs, strong wages and high standards of living, built on complementary economies that compete globally, together.

To deliver trade that is both free and fair, the North American Growth Plan calls for:

• Renewing USMCA as a strong trilateral agreement, with minimal changes and ensuring that preferential access to the North American market is preserved.
• Eliminating the current sectoral tariffs on imports from Canada and provide protection from future tariff risk.
• Creating a stable and predictable trade environment across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico that lowers costs for families and businesses.
• Strengthening integrated North American supply chains, which are essential to global competitiveness and attracting investment.
• Working jointly with the U.S. and Mexico to monitor and stop tariff circumvention, with coordinated enforcement.
• Ensuring all three partners have policies in place to screen investments from China and other non-market economies in strategically important sectors, such as critical minerals and defence, while supporting and matching U.S. policies designed to protect domestic markets from Chinese interference.
• Prohibiting any direct or indirect actions by China or Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to acquire, influence or subvert North American resources, markets or other strategic assets and property, including artificial intelligence and related technologies.

Growing Our Economies for Workers

The Canada–U.S.–Mexico partnership is one of the most powerful economic alliances in the world. Now is the moment to turn that strength into shared growth and job creation across all three countries. By reshoring advanced manufacturing and doubling down on our integrated strengths, North America can build more at home, create good jobs and keep costs down for families.

To grow our economies and deliver for workers, Ontario recommends:

• Positioning Fortress North America as the most competitive destination in the world for automotive and battery investment, with aligned and streamlined regulations that deepen integration and give investors certainty.
• Committing to free and fair trade in the integrated North American auto manufacturing sector, with an ambitious goal of producing one million more North American vehicles annually each year by 2028.
• Eliminating sectoral tariffs, including those on metals and derivative products, within North America and renewing USMCA with minimal changes to preserve stability.
• Using a renewed USMCA to strengthen domestic market share and supply chains while working together to prevent transshipment and unfair trade practices that harm our workers, businesses and economic security.
• Expanding and strengthening North American agri-food trade to support resilient supply chains and good jobs across the continent.
• Coordinated strategic initiatives to stabilize and maximize forest product supply chains across regions, including the development of markets for underutilized forest resources and mill byproducts, as well as investments in capital improvements and mill modernization that support a resilient and profitable industry in Ontario and in U.S. states.
• Building cross-border partnerships between post-secondary institutions, industry and unions to develop the skilled workforce needed for priority sectors, such as infrastructure, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and energy.
• Advancing mutual recognition of professional certifications to improve access to engineers, doctors and other critical talent across borders.
• Investing in modern, integrated transportation networks, rail, road, marine and air, to move people, goods and services safely, quickly and efficiently across North America.

Accelerate Strategic Resource Development

The Canada–U.S. partnership is central to North America’s economic and national security, while reinforcing the strength of our broader trilateral alliance. Nowhere is that more important than in critical minerals, the building blocks of the advanced technologies that will define the next century, from semiconductors and satellites to defence systems, artificial intelligence and marine equipment.

Canada, and Ontario in particular, has the resources. The United States has made clear it needs secure, reliable supply chains. Together, we have a shared opportunity and responsibility: to build an integrated Canada–U.S. critical minerals pipeline that strengthens North America as a whole and reduces reliance on China.

Ontario is already moving with urgency. Through the One Project, One Process framework, we have cut approval timelines in half for priority mining projects. We have secured a historic cooperation agreement with Canada’s federal government to eliminate regulatory duplication for mining project approvals. We are advancing infrastructure to unlock the Ring of Fire, one of the most significant critical mineral regions in the world, years ahead of schedule. This is about getting resources out of the ground, into processing and onto factory floors across North America.

To accelerate progress, the Fortress North America Growth Plan calls for:

• Investments in and building out American and Canadian critical mineral supply chains by significantly expanding Ontario and U.S. processing capacity, including Ontario’s over $360M USD ($500M CAD) Critical Minerals Processing Fund (CMPF) to accelerate new critical minerals processing capacity in Ontario. This should include prioritizing Canadian uranium to fuel the expansion of Canada–U.S. nuclear energy capacity.
• Continuing to accelerate provincial regulatory approval timelines for current and planned critical mineral projects through One Project, One Process, which is complementary to the Government of Canada’s “One Project, One Review” approach. Priority should be given to projects that displace and replace Chinese supply while also promoting First Nations equity and economic participation and respecting and meeting duty to consult obligations.
• Designating areas where multiple critical minerals are present or likely to be present, such as the Ring of Fire region in Ontario, as regions of strategic importance to the national security of Canada and the U.S..
• Working with the federal government to ensure that federal foreign investment reviews capture strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and data technology and supply chains like critical minerals and energy that align with shared strategic priorities.
• Funding and accelerating the construction of roads, highways, energy, electricity transmission and other infrastructure required to access, develop and operate new critical minerals mines.
• Working with the U.S. Department of Defense to prioritize shared Canada–U.S. national security objectives for Canadian governments’ investments in critical mineral supply chains, including strategic investments in critical mineral mining and processing projects.
• The federal and provincial governments continuing to prioritize strategic investments in projects of national significance, including critical mineral supply chains, such as Ontario’s $2.9B USD ($4B CAD) Protect Ontario Account Investment Fund and Canada’s $1.4B USD ($2B CAD) Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund.
• Establishing a cross-border working group on mineral price stability to identify policy solutions that promote the long-term sustainability of critical mineral development projects, including cracking down on the practice of naked short-selling and foreign investments tactics that undermine the viability of American and Canadian junior mining companies.
• Collaborating with the Government of Canada, the United States and others through partnership opportunities, such as the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement and allied critical minerals security partnerships to align Ontario’s strategic mineral development priorities with shared continental defence, energy and economic security objectives.

Ontario’s Critical Minerals List contains 35 critical minerals

Achieve North American Energy Security to Power North American Economic Growth

Energy is at the core of the Canada–U.S. partnership and a foundational strength of the broader North American alliance. Together, Canada and the United States have what the world needs: abundant, reliable and diverse energy resources that can power economic growth, strengthen security and create good jobs on both sides of the border.

Ontario is uniquely positioned to lead. With one of the world’s most advanced nuclear fleets and the first small modular reactors in the G7, Ontario is helping build the next generation of clean, reliable energy to power Canada–U.S. growth. We’re already delivering enormous nuclear refurbishments on time and on budget, and planning for the largest nuclear build on the continent. With unparalleled experience and proven expertise, Ontario is ready to help build the future of nuclear energy across the United States.

At the same time, Ontario’s nuclear sector is delivering life-saving innovation, expanding the production of medical isotopes used to treat cancers and improve patient outcomes across North America. Canada has the assets, infrastructure, historic expertise, and industrial capacity to expand its global leadership in medical isotope production and delivery. Canada can be a powerhouse for North America, with the goal of economic growth and production leadership, in addition to health care resilience.

This is a shared opportunity to build an integrated Canada–U.S. energy system that strengthens continental resilience, supports industry and keeps energy affordable for families, while reinforcing North America’s broader energy security. Ontario is seizing these shared opportunities through strategic partnerships such as agreements that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has signed with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to advance nuclear technologies and strengthen North American grid reliability.

To power Canada–U.S. prosperity, the Fortress North America Growth Plan calls for:

• Enhancing and building out the integrated Canada–U.S. energy and electricity grid to encourage more exports of Canadian energy and electricity to the U.S., including Ontario’s clean nuclear energy, to power economic growth on both sides of the border.
• Establishing cross-border working groups with U.S. and Canadian lawmakers alongside energy and security experts to:
  • ensure both countries adhere to best practices for power system security against foreign interference, cyberattacks, terrorism and extreme weather, among other threats.
  • align regulations and eliminate red tape that slows building cross-border energy infrastructure, including for transmission lines, interties and pipelines.
• Achieving Canada–U.S. energy security sooner by streamlining the approval of new small modular and large nuclear reactors, while respecting duty to consult obligations and protecting safe operations.
• Developing new and reinforcing existing electricity transmission interties and natural gas and oil pipelines between Canada and the U.S. to promote the flow of energy across borders.
• Promoting Ontario and Canadian nuclear expertise by establishing small modular and large-scale nuclear reactor partnerships with U.S., including with key states and local or regional energy and electricity authorities.
• Continuing ongoing efforts to expand the production of lifesaving, cancer-fighting medical isotopes at Ontario’s growing fleet of nuclear reactors to support improved cancer patient outcomes in Canada and the United States. Ontario is working to double its medical isotope production by 2030.

Protect North American Land, Air, Arctic, Water and Communities

The Canada–U.S. partnership is built on shared responsibility for defending our land, air, water and Arctic, the frontlines of North American security. As global threats evolve, so must our collective response. A stronger, more secure Canada makes for a stronger, more reliable partner to the United States and reinforces the security of the broader North American alliance.

That means taking visible, measurable action. From securing our borders to asserting Arctic sovereignty, Canada must demonstrate that it is a credible, committed partner in protecting our shared continent and the communities that call it home.

To strengthen Canada–U.S. security and resilience, the Fortress North America Growth Plan calls for:

• Continuing efforts to meet Canada’s 5 per cent NATO target for defence spending, after meeting the 2 per cent target in March 2026, including by investing in the future success of NORAD operations and NORAD base restoration.
• Investing in Canada’s unique strategic capabilities and competencies, including Ontario’s leadership in innovation and artificial intelligence to support the future of autonomous combat aerial and underwater vehicles for both militaries.
• Partnering with the U.S. on developing and testing advanced defence technologies to enhance NORAD and NATO capabilities, leveraging the first Ontario Military Defence Representative.
• Expanding Canada’s shipbuilding capacity to build new ice breakers and other equipment and assets, including by increasing capacity at Ontario-based shipbuilding facilities, to protect Canada’s Arctic and meet other security objectives.
• Working with the U.S. to enable new and catalyzing investments in extraction and processing of critical minerals to supercharge the U.S. defence industrial sector.
• Continuing efforts to secure the shared northern border and key economic and trade corridors. Since Ontario’s Operation Deterrence was launched in January 2025, there have been more than 73,000 hours of patrols in key border areas, over 5,000 hours of aviation patrols, more than 60,000 vehicle inspections. It has resulted in over a thousand charges, the seizure of firearms, drugs, stolen vehicles, as well as stopping illegal border-crossing attempts and combatting human trafficking. Under Operation Deterrence 2.0, Ontario is investing an additional $23.5M USD ($32.5 CAD) that would establish two new programs that will provide police services with resources to help disrupt organized crime networks from operating across the border.
• Allowing for enhanced data and intelligence sharing between federal, provincial, territorial and local police services, intelligence agencies and other appropriate government agencies and organizations to promote better coordination and prevent illegal activities.
• Enhanced Canada–U.S. information sharing on the cross-border movements of registered sex offenders.
• Further promoting joint training, operations and scenario planning between American and Canadian armed forces, particularly in the Arctic, including by expanding Canada’s advanced fighter pilot training resources.
• Protecting Ontario’s mineral resources from users of concern by giving the province authority to restrict the registration of mining claims, deny a lease, cancel a mining claim registration or terminate a lease, on the basis of protecting the strategic national mineral supply chain.

Enhance North American Data and Research and Development Security

The Canada–U.S. partnership is essential to securing the digital and technological foundations of our economy, while reinforcing the strength of the broader North American alliance. As data, artificial intelligence and advanced research become central to economic and national security, protecting these assets is no longer optional. It is a shared imperative.

Canada and the United States face common threats, from cyberattacks and economic espionage to foreign interference in critical research. At the same time, we share a unique opportunity to build a trusted, secure and competitive North American innovation ecosystem that protects our data, safeguards our research and drives growth.

To advance Canada–U.S. data and research security, the Fortress North America Growth Plan calls for:

• Updating Ontario’s data security and artificial intelligence regulations and protocols with emerging U.S. best practices to promote enhanced public- and private-sector cross-border collaboration and integration.
• Increasing cooperation and data sharing between the federal government and provinces and territories, noting opportunities stemming from the federal Countering Foreign Interference Act, 2024, such as establishing a foreign influence transparency registry and modernizing powers for Canadian intelligence gathering.
• Pursuing enhanced information sharing and collaboration between Canadian cybersecurity infrastructure and U.S. counterparts.
• Guarding critical interconnected data infrastructure, such as high-value data centres by developing joint cyber risk mitigation practices.
• Expand secure health data infrastructure, ensuring the availability of high-quality, comprehensive health data to fuel AI and biomedical innovation.
• Develop common Canada–U.S. definitions of sensitive technology research areas and list of research organizations that pose mutual threats to national security.
• Strengthen and protect cross-national collaborations between academic and research institutions in sensitive technology research areas, including defence.
• Support innovation in the cybersecurity sector with cross-border collaboration to develop a sustainable and secure technology supply chain.
• Build out cybersecurity talent and capabilities pipelines through joint exercises and training programs.
• Streamline approvals and energy connections for high-value data centres, in particular facilities that support shared national security objectives.