Ontario invests $16.5M to help companies and workers affected by U.S. tariffs

The Ontario government is providing $16.5 million through the Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF) to help companies and workers impacted by U.S. tariffs, supporting initiatives to increase resilience, build capacity and re-shore critical supply chains to the province.

The first round of funding totals over $120 million in investments across eight companies, creating more than 300 new jobs and protecting nearly 1,200 existing positions.

“As U.S. tariffs continue to threaten Ontario’s critical industries, our government remains focused on ensuring our manufacturers have the resources needed to adapt and expand,” said Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade. “Through the Ontario Together Trade Fund, we are taking decisive action to enhance the competitiveness of our economy, increasing opportunities for Ontario businesses and workers, now and for generations to come.”

Three Vaughan-based companies receiving support include:

• Burnco Manufacturing Inc., receiving $2.5 million for an $8-million investment to increase production capacity, creating 75 new jobs and protecting 215 positions.
• Heali Medical Corp., receiving $1.7 million for a $5.7-million investment to reshore production from China and expand into international markets, creating 12 new jobs and protecting five positions.
• Letar Inc., receiving over $800,000 for a $2.8-million investment to establish a chemical processing facility, creating nine new jobs and protecting 32 positions.

The OTTF, first announced in the 2025 provincial budget, is part of a nearly $30-billion plan to protect workers and businesses from economic uncertainty. Demand for the program has been high, with more than 140 applications submitted as of October 2025, prompting an additional $100 million investment to bring total funding to $150 million over three years.

“The tariffs from the U.S. have had tremendous impacts on our economy and our local businesses,” said Steven Del Duca, mayor of Vaughan. “That’s why I am thrilled by this funding announcement from the Ontario government. It will help create more jobs, safeguard existing positions and increase production for three Vaughan companies.”