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The Government of Canada offers several additional economic support programs and resources to help individuals and businesses mitigate the potential impacts of the evolving Canada-United States relationship. These encompass a duty relief program and a procedure for requesting the remission of tariffs. This webpage also offers information on existing support programs that may be beneficial to businesses navigating tariff impacts.

As of August 25, 2026 the Government of Canada has added a new $3.5 billion suite of supports for workers and employers to help Canadians impacted by tariffs. This suite includes additional temporary unemployment insurance and the creation of a Worker Retention and Retraining Program.

The Business Development Bank of Canada’s Pivot to Grow initiative issues loans of up to $2 million to help entrepreneurs offset costs and preserve cash flow amid the impacts of U.S. tariffs. Small and medium-sized businesses are eligible if they have annual sales of $2 million or more and either export at least 25% of their sales to the U.S. or have been impacted by U.S. tariffs or the uncertainty surrounding them.

In response to Section 338 tariffs, on August 25, 2026, the Government of Canada announced increased access to this program by lowering the minimum revenue requirement to $1 million.

The Canada Strong Diversification Fund is a stream of the Strategic Response Fund, which supports large-scale, transformative projects that build economic resilience, strengthen supply chains, and protect jobs in tariff impacted sectors including steel, aluminum, automotive production, forest products, AI, and advanced technologies.

This $2 billion fund will support tariff-affected businesses with shovel-ready projects that support ongoing capital maintenance.

Export Development Canada’s Trade Impact Program is committing an additional $5 billion over the next two years to support Canadian direct or indirect exporters impacted by market uncertainty related to tariffs. Support will be provided through a range of products and programs; individual business needs can be discussed with an export advisor.

The LETL facility, offered by the Canada Enterprise Emergency Funding Corporation, provides loans to large Canadian businesses that are impacted — or expect to be impacted — by tariffs and countermeasures. These loans are intended as short-term support until businesses can access more traditional market financing.

On July 16, 2025, it was announced that the program will be updated, with the steel industry in mind. The annual revenue requirement will be reduced from $300 million to $150 million, and the minimum loan size will be reduced from $60 million to $30 million. Additionally, the initial interest rate will decrease, the loan maturity will be extended from 5 to 7 years, and applicants will be required to prioritize worker retention.

On August 25, 2026, in response to Section 338 tariffs, the Government of Canada announced new flexibilities that would increase access to this program.

On December 5, 2025, in Toronto, Minister Evan Solomon announced that FedDev Ontario has opened the Regional Defence Investment Initiative (RDII) in southern Ontario—a $357.7‑million national program to help firms scale, boost productivity, and integrate into domestic and international defence supply chains, including dual‑use pivots.

The launch leverages the region’s strengths in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automotive technologies, cybersecurity, robotics, and AI, with FedDev Ontario set to deliver $94.7 million from RDII and an additional $106 million from existing resources—nearly $200 million in regional support—while application details are available on the RDII in southern Ontario page.

The RTRI is a three-year, $450 million national program from the Government of Canada. In southern Ontario, the initiative is delivered by FedDev Ontario, which will administer approximately $160 million. The program is intended to support businesses affected by trade and tariff changes, with a focus on sectors such as steel and automotive, by providing funding for projects related to productivity, market diversification, supply chains, and trade capacity.

As of August 25, 2026, the Government of Canada announced an additional 1.5 billion in investment through this program to support small and medium-sized enterprises impacted by Section 338 tariffs.

The Strategic Innovation Fund is a program that has been in place since 2017. It aims to support the innovation network in Canada by providing funding for large-scale, transformative projects across all economic sectors. On July 16, 2025, the government announced that it will contribute an additional $1 billion to the fund to help Canadian steel companies modernize, compete in the domestic market, and strengthen supply chains. This funding is being provided in the context of ongoing tariff uncertainty.

The program provides financial support to businesses in sectors impacted by U.S. tariffs. Through this initiative, eligible companies can access funding to help offset increased costs, maintain operations, and preserve jobs in the face of trade-related challenges. The program is intended to stabilize affected industries and ensure continued competitiveness in key areas of Ontario’s economy.

Eligibility to this program, as of September 29, 2026, has been expanded to include Ontario businesses who are impacted by any Section 232 tariff, Section 338 tariff, as well as U.S. import bans.

The Ontario Together Trade Fund provides financial support to eligible businesses that have been significantly affected by U.S. tariffs. This funding aims to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in enhancing their trade resilience by aligning with provincial economic priorities, such as strengthening supply chains or expanding into new markets. Businesses can receive a grant or loan of up to $5 million.

POWER Centres (Protect Ontario Workers Employment Response Centres) are temporary support hubs that help workers affected by mass layoffs by offering job search assistance, training referrals, financial counselling, and access to Employment Ontario services.

Steel workers impacted by lay-offs at Stelco can access the POWER Centre at 1031 Barton St. East. The POWER Centre can also be reached by phone at: 905-548-9197

Provides cost-share funding for projects that strengthen rural communities. It supports economic diversification, workforce attraction, and community revitalization, with eligibility for municipalities, Indigenous communities, non-profit organizations, local service boards, and small rural businesses.

BDC is a Crown corporation that supports Canadian entrepreneurs—especially small and medium-sized businesses—through flexible financing, expert consulting, venture capital, and resources to navigate economic challenges and maintain mental well-being.

The Conference Board of Canada provides in-depth economic analysis and impact assessments—such as city- and industry-level studies on tariffs—to help businesses understand and navigate the effects of trade disruptions like U.S. tariffs.

Export Development Canada’s U.S. Market Intelligence guide provides expert insights, tools, and up-to-date analysis to navigate trade uncertainty, mitigate risks, and build resilience in the U.S. market.

KPMG Canada’s Navigating Trade and Tariffs resource offers strategic insights, risk mitigation strategies, and supply chain optimization tools to build resilience and adapt to evolving trade disruptions.

The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade provides guidance, strategic support, and resources to strengthen trade resilience, diversify markets, and navigate international trade challenges.

The Federal Trade Commissioner Service offers real-time updates, CUSMA compliance guidance, problem-solving tools, and access to federal and provincial support programs to navigate trade disruptions effectively.

Global Affairs Canada’s Chief Economist reports provide businesses with valuable economic analysis, trade data, and insights into the impacts of tariffs and global trade trends.

Statistics Canada provides a comprehensive fact sheet summarizing Canada’s trade and investment relationship with the United States, including data on goods and services trade, foreign direct investment, portfolio investment, and multinational enterprise activities from 2020 to 2024.