United business voice to Premiers: Keep Canada’s internal trade momentum going 

(TORONTO, ON – July 18, 2025) – As Canada’s premiers prepare to meet in Huntsville, Ontario, for the Council of the Federation meeting, Canada’s provincial chambers of commerce are calling for bold, united action to tear down the remaining barriers to internal trade and economic cooperation.  

In a joint letter released today, provincial chamber CEOs applaud the successes of 2025 to date, and propose an agenda to ensure the momentum continues. 

“The unity we saw at the First Ministers’ meeting in Saskatoon was historic,” said Daniel Tisch, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “Governments and businesses are more aligned than ever on strategies to unlock Canada’s full economic potential. Now it’s time to finish what we’ve started.” 

The chambers unanimously call on the premiers to deliver results in four areas: 

• Implement a credential recognition and labour mobility framework: Go beyond bilateral deals. Adopt a pan-Canadian framework with digital tracking, clear timelines and enforcement, starting with high-impact sectors like health care and infrastructure.
• Advance the energy and infrastructure corridor: Work with Ottawa and Indigenous leaders to map routes, fast-track approvals, and create cost-sharing models for vital projects like pipelines, ports, and transmission lines.
• Leverage procurement: Harmonize procurement criteria, prioritize domestic suppliers, and align industrial strategies—especially in sectors like cleantech and agrifood.
• Prepare for the renewal of CUSMA: With NAFTA 2.0 up for review in 2026 and the U.S. consultative process scheduled to start this fall, Canada must present a united front. That means aligning across jurisdictions on trade resilience, supply chains, labour, and energy integration. 

The letter also highlights meaningful wins across the country: 

• Interprovincial trade and labour mobility: Provinces such as Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and B.C. have passed legislation or signed deals to streamline credential recognition. Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Alberta have also taken concrete steps.
• Energy and trade corridor: There is growing momentum toward a pan-Canadian energy and infrastructure corridor. The First Ministers’ endorsement of “one Canadian economy” marked a pivotal step towards a national corridor to facilitate the efficient movement of energy and critical resources across jurisdictions.
• Strategic procurement reform: Provinces are aligning procurement with domestic industry growth. For example, Ontario is empowering Supply Ontario to prioritize Canadian suppliers, while B.C. and Saskatchewan are expanding Buy-Canadian policies 

Despite this progress, the chambers say Canada needs to go further and faster.  

“If Canada gets this right, we strengthen our economy from the inside out—and show the world what real cooperation looks like,” added Tisch.
 

Read the letter here.

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is the indispensable partner of business and Canada’s largest, most influential provincial chamber. It is an independent, non-profit advocacy and member services organization representing a diverse network of 60,000 members. The OCC convenes, mobilizes and empowers business and local chambers in pursuit of its purpose: to bring inclusive and sustainable prosperity to Ontario’s businesses, workers, and communities. 

For more information, please contact: 
Andrea Carmona
Senior Manager of Public Affairs
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
andreacarmona@occ.ca | Mobile: (647) 234-0255