Premier Kathleen Wynne says a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is an opportunity to improve trade relations for Ontario.
The United States officially served notice Thursday of its intention to renegotiate the agreement, triggering a 90-day consultation window before starting talks late this summer with Canada and Mexico.
Wynne notes that Ontario is the main customer of 20 U.S. states and the second-largest of eight more.
She says nearly nine million U.S. jobs depend on trade and investment with Canada.
The premier says the government is working in Washington and in state capitals across the U.S. to address issues that could affect Ontario-U.S. trade and ensure the province's interests are represented.
Wynne also says the province has retained legal experts and trade advisers to support ongoing efforts to improve trade with the U.S.
"We are not satisfied to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to any renegotiation of NAFTA," Wynne said Thursday in a statement. "We see this decision as an opportunity to look at how NAFTA could potentially be improved to make the agreement even more effective for the people of Ontario, our workers and businesses."
Wynne said she will continue to travel to the U.S. to meet with governors, legislators and businesses in states that have strong trading partnerships with Ontario.
