Muriel Draaisma · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 29, 2026 4:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 29

Ontario has signed a deal with Utah to boost trade as part of a plan by Premier Doug Ford to strengthen economic ties with individual American states.

Ford signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Utah Governor Spencer Cox on Monday, the premier's office said in a news release.

Under the agreement, Ontario and Utah will increase trade in a number of sectors.

“Canada and the United States are always stronger when we work together to increase cooperation, collaboration and trade so we can grow the economy on both sides of the border,” Ford said in the release.

“With nearly $7 billion in annual trade between Ontario and Utah already, today’s agreement will help deliver new opportunities for our province’s world-class workers and companies and create lasting prosperity in both regions.”

The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade officially comes up for review on July 1 after an 18-month trade war sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Ontario to increase 'strategic collaboration' with Utah

In addition to Utah, Ontario has signed economic cooperation agreements with nine U.S. states since 2023. These deals are with Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

"The new MOU is part of the government’s ongoing plan to make Ontario the most resilient and competitive economy in the G7 by strengthening ties and establishing new relationships with governments at the federal, state and local levels, as well as business leaders across the United States," the release said.

The release also states that Ontario has expertise in clean, affordable nuclear energy, including large-scale reactors, small modular reactors and energy storage. It can offer this expertise to states looking to meet growing electricity demand and protect their energy security.

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The release said Ontario and Utah will increase "strategic collaboration" in such areas as critical minerals, defence manufacturing and artificial intelligence through academic and regulatory cooperation, workforce development initiatives and trade missions.

Cox, for his part, said Utah is "grateful" for its partnership with Ford.

"Utah and Ontario share a strong commitment to building and powering the future," Cox said in the release. "This agreement strengthens an already important trade relationship and supports good jobs on both sides of the border."

The premier's office said Ontario and Utah have a close trading relationship, with total trade between the two jurisdictions valued at nearly $7 billion (CAD) in 2025. The amount accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Canada’s total trade with Utah, the office said.