Positive Canada-US Relations Must Prevail in the Fight Against COVID-19

(Toronto – April 8, 2020) – Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Kentucky Chamber of Commerce released the following statement in light of recent diplomatic tensions between Canada and the US:

“For the first time in decades, the entire world is focused on one problem. We call on all our world leaders to prioritize global public health as our best long-term economic strategy,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “At the same time, we can not afford to compromise international supply chains during this crisis. With two-way trade between Ontario and Kentucky totalling over ten billion dollars a year^[i], fostering an environment that encourages collaboration, particularly with close allies and trading partners, can help stabilize the economy and safeguard public health.”

“Canada is Kentucky’s top trade partners and free trade between our nations is key in the fight against COVID-19. Now, more than ever, we need every tool at our disposable to ensure we work together to protect our citizens and recover economically,” said Ashli Watts, President & CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. “Our countries have committed to working together to ensure the supply chain between the U.S. and Canada remain viable for critical medical supplies.”

Key Facts:

• Kentucky sells more goods to Canada than its next two largest foreign markets combined — France and the United Kingdom.^[ii]
• Ontario and the U.S. conducted about CAD$390 billion in two-way trade in 2018. Ontario is the number one trading partner with 19 states and the 2nd largest trading partner with nine others.^[iii]

-30-

About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

For more information, please contact:
Michelle Eaton, Vice President, Public Affairs, Ontario Chamber of Commerce at michelleeaton@occ.ca or 647-261-4594

About the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
From its beginnings in 1946 as a bipartisan voice for business at the state Capitol, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has evolved into the premier business association in the state. Today, the Kentucky Chamber represents over 3,800 businesses as members– from family-owned shops to Fortune 500 companies – that employ over half of the Commonwealth’s workforce. Kentucky Chamber members benefit from a broad range of services: year-round lobbying, timely communications on business issues, publications and seminars on evolving regulations and policies and a variety of other member benefits.

For more information, please contact:
Kentucky Chamber Communications Manager Sawyer Coffey at scoffey@kychamber.com or 502-320-8886

References

[i] Trade Fact Sheet. Government of Ontario. (2015, December 30). https://www.sourcefromontario.com/tradefactsheet/en/page/tradefactsheet.php?countryid=233&type=US

[ii] Trade Commissioner Service. Government of Canada. Business Fact Sheets. (2020, January 8). https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/tcs-sdc/united-states-of-america-etats-unis-amerique/business_fact_sheets-fiches_documentaires_affaires.aspx?lang=eng

[iii] Ontario Moves Forward with New Strategy for U.S. Trade. (n.d.). Government of Ontario. https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/02/ontario-moves-forward-with-new-strategy-for-us-trade.html