Tariff and Export Funding in Ontario: Directory of Funding Programs
This page is a directory of funding programs that support businesses focused on exporting in Ontario. It includes tariff programs introduced in response to U.S. tariffs, as well as other exporting-related funding programs. The page will be regularly updated to ensure that funding programs are current.
Federal Tariff Programs
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| Duties Relief Program | The Duties Relief Program allows companies to import commercial goods without paying duties, as long as those goods are eventually exported. As part of the program, companies can manufacture or use the commercial goods in a limited manner before export. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Companies that import commercial goods later exported as-is or used to produce other goods for export. |
| Duty Drawback Program | The Drawback Program can help Canadian companies compete in export markets by removing the domestic duty impact from their commercial goods. The program grants a drawback (refund) of duties that were paid on imported goods. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Companies that import goods for export in the same condition, use them to produce export goods, or destroy surplus or obsolete imported or manufactured goods. |
| Customs Bonded Warehouse Program | The Customs Bonded Warehouse Program defers the payment of customs duties on imported goods into Canada until they are sold in the Canadian market. If imported goods are exported directly from the customs bonded warehouse, no customs duties are payable. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Operators of a customs bonded warehouse |
| The Large Enterprise Tariff Loan (LETL) facility | The Large Enterprise Tariff Loan (LETL) facility is a new financing facility announced by the Government of Canada on March 21, 2025. It provides financing support for large Canadian enterprises affected by actual and potential new tariffs and countermeasures and which face challenges accessing traditional sources of market financing. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Large Canadian companies with significant operations or workforce in Canada, at least $300 million in annual Canadian revenue, and a minimum loan need of $60 million. Businesses must be viable before tariffs and not undergoing insolvency proceedings. |
| Tax relief and support for businesses in response to tariffs | The CRA will defer GST/HST and corporate income tax payments from April 2 to June 30, 2025, waive interest on these payments during the same period, and provide interest relief on existing GST/HST and T2 balances. | No fixed amount | July 1, 2025 | Canadian businesses |
| Pivot to grow loan | The Pivot to Grow Loan program offers loans of up to $2M to help your business mitigate the impact of tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S | $2,000,000 | Continuous Intake | Companies with at least 25% of sales from U.S. exports or a significant risk of being affected by U.S. tariffs, annual sales of $2M or more, positive cash flow, and demonstrated profitability. |
| EDC Trade Impact Program | The EDC Trade Impact Program helps eligible companies navigate economic challenges by offering trade credit insurance, currency risk solutions, increased access to working capital, and financing for global expansion. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Canadian exporter, or a company that supplies exporters |
| Canada tariff remission process | Canada tariff remission process provides eligible businesses exceptional relief from the tariffs imposed as part of Canada’s response. Under specific circumstances, remission allows for relief from the payment of tariffs, or the refund of tariffs already paid. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Companies registered in Canada |
| UPDATED EI Work-Sharing Program | The UPDATED EI Work-Sharing Program helps employers and employees avoid layoffs by providing EI benefits to eligible employees who agree to reduce normal hours to share the work with other employees. Work-Sharing special measures to support businesses affected by the threat or potential realization of tariffs are effective March 7, 2025 to March 6, 2026. | No fixed amount | March 6, 2026 | Employers experiencing a decline in business due to tariffs, operating in Canada for at least 1 year, and employing at least 2 EI-eligible employees who agree to reduce hours and share work. |
Federal Tariff Programs for Agriculture & Agrifood
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| Trade Disruption Customer Support program | The Trade Disruption Customer Support Program helps Canada’s agriculture and food sector manage tariff impacts by offering loan deferrals, a $500,000 credit line, and additional term loan support. | $500,000 | Continuous Intake | Financially viable businesses prior to the impact of the tariff |
| Canada Brand | The Canada Brand Program promotes Canadian food and beverage products globally with free access to a national branding program, a modern marketing toolkit, international promotional opportunities, and a network supporting a unified Canadian presence abroad. | No funding involved | Continuous Intake | Export-ready, registered Canadian business entities that have a role in producing, promoting or supporting Canadian agriculture, food or seafood products. |
Federal Exporting Programs
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| CanExport SMEs | The CanExport SMEs program helps small and medium-sized businesses expand into new international markets. It offers up to $50,000 to support eligible activities for promoting existing products and services abroad. | $50,000 | May 31, 2025 at 5 pm EDT for projects taking place in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. | Businesses must be for-profit, established in Canada, and legally incorporated or organized as an LLP or cooperative. Must have a CRA business number, 1 to 500 full-time employees, and $100,000 to $100 million in Canadian revenue from the past fiscal year. |
| CCC – For Canadian Business | The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) empowers Canadian exporters by providing unparalleled access to foreign government buyers, opening doors for international business expansion. CCC offers practical business development advice, referrals, and tools that are designed to bring all the support you need to enable you at each stage of the deal. | No funding involved | Continuous Intake | Canadian Exporters |
| EDC Investment Matching Program | Export Development Canada (EDC) can match investments of $10 million or more with their expedited co-investment program. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Canadian Exporters |
| EDC Direct lending | EDC offers non-dilutive financing to help Canadian exporters expand globally by filling gaps left by traditional lenders. Support includes various loan structures and collaborations with your lender. Pricing is market-based or follows OECD terms, depending on risk. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Canadian companies with international growth plans |
| EDC Structured and Project Finance | Structured and Project Finance supports complex international projects involving large investments and multiple stakeholders. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Projects must generate over $50 million in revenue and involve export activities outside Canada in the extractive, power, utilities, infrastructure or industrial sector. |
| EDC Buyer Financing | EDC’s Buyer Financing Guarantee provides up to 100% guarantee on 85% of a commercial contract to approved Canadian or international financial partners. The guarantee covers term financing transactions not exceeding $25 million. | $25 million | Continuous Intake | International buyers of Canadian goods and services |
| EDC Export Guarantee Program | The Export Guarantee Program (EGP) provides guarantees of up to US$25 million to your financial institution so they can extend your access to working capital. | $25 million | Continuous Intake | Companies needing complex export finance structures, including multiple operating lines, foreign assets or acquisitions, cash flow loans or multiple borrowers. |
| EDC Trade Expansion Lending Program | The Trade Expansion Lending Program (TELP) is a guarantee that helps you access more working capital from your financial institution. EDC shares the risk with your lender by guaranteeing part of your loan or line of credit, allowing them to offer the credit conditions you need to grow. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Companies needing working capital loans |
| EDC Investments | EDC Investments is an evergreen investment program that provides equity capital to established Canadian companies looking to accelerate their international growth. EDC take a minority equity position (up to 25% ownership) and do not seek control. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Established Canadian companies seeking to accelerate international growth, as well as emerging companies with annual revenues between $500,000 and $10 million, and companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $300 million. |
| EDC Account Performance Security Guarantee | Account Performance Security Guarantee (APSG) gives your financial institution a 100% guarantee for standby letters of credit. This frees up your cash or credit line to help grow your business. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Companies needing collateral replacement for contractual and financial letters of guarantee |
| EDC Foreign Exchange Facility Guarantee | EDC’s Foreign Exchange Facility Guarantee (FXG) can cover your collateral requirements on foreign exchange (FX) contracts, helping you manage fluctuating currency rates without tying up your cash. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | A registered Canadian company that qualifies as a direct, indirect, or future exporter, has a business banking relationship with a Canadian financial institution, meets environmental, social, and governance standards, and has (or is considering) an FX contract or hedging instrument. |
| EDC Performance Security Insurance | The EDC Performance Security Insurance covers 95% of your insured losses if a customer wrongfully calls a letter of guarantee or if a call is triggered by you not being able to meet your obligations due to specific political risks. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Determined by EDC based on review of the letter of guarantee and conditions and economic outlook in your customer’s country, and the customer’s profile. |
| EDC Select Credit Insurance | Select Credit Insurance offers short-term coverage designed for businesses that export occasionally, such as new exporters, companies with a small number of international clients, and seasonal exporters. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Canadian companies of all sizes if they insure $500,000 or less per customer, sell directly or indirectly to international buyers, get paid within 180 days, meet EDC’s risk criteria, haven’t shipped goods or provided services yet, and don’t need pre-shipment or domestic coverage. |
| EDC Portfolio Credit Insurance | Portfolio Credit Insurance is a flexible solution that can insure an unlimited number of international customers, protect your invoices, and, in some cases, cover pre-shipment costs. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Active Exporters |
| EDC Surety bonds | EDC Surety Bonds help your surety company provide the bonding capacity you need to grow, with EDC offering reinsurance if a customer makes a claim against your bond. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Active Exporters |
| FinDev Canada Financing and Investment | FinDev Canada offers financial solutions such as debt and equity to clients operating in developing countries that demonstrate sustainable social and economic benefits for local communities | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Companies operating in developing countries |
| CanExport Innovation | Innovators from Canadian organizations may access up to $75,000 in funding to assist with research and development (R&D) for a single technology. CanExport covers up to 75% of costs to pursue and sign collaborative R&D agreements with international partners. | $75,000 | The next intake period will open June 1, 2025. | Canadian small and medium-sized enterprise, academic institutions, and non-government research centres |
| CanExport GAC-Led Delegations | The CanExport GAC-Led Delegations program offers funding to cover up to 50% of costs related to participation in select trade missions and delegations led by Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) Trade Commissioner Service (TCS). | $50,000 | Rolling deadline | Canadian SME selected for a GAC-led delegation, established in Canada as a for-profit, legally incorporated entity, LLP, or cooperative with an active CRA number, 1–500 full-time employees, and $100K–$100M in Canadian revenue in the last tax year (or past 12 months for monthly/quarterly filers). |
Federal Exporting Programs for Technology Industry
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| NRC IRAP Financial Support for Technology Innovation (includes NRC IRAP International) | The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) provides direct support to small and medium-sized businesses with international interests. The international programs connect companies with the funding, advisory, export, and innovation services they need to access new markets and global value chains. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Incorporated, for-profit Canadian SME with 500 or fewer employees, pursuing growth through innovative, tech-driven products, services, or processes. |
Federal Exporting Programs for Artists
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| Translation Component of Arts Abroad | The Translation component of Arts Abroad funds the translation of Canadian literary works or dramatic works for international presentation or publication. | $20,000 | October 8, 2025 | International literary publishers and theatre organizations, theatre and multidisciplinary groups and collectives, theatre companies and dramaturgical organizations, and multidisciplinary organizations |
| Representation and Promotion Component of Arts Abroad | The Representation and Promotion component of Arts Abroad funds travel linked to the international promotion of Canadian artists and artistic works | $30,000 | May 14, 2025 | Registered or incorporated Canadian arts organizations to represent Canadian artists and develop their presence internationally, and establish a place for Canadian arts practice in the global arts market. |
| Export Assistance Program | The Export Assistance Program helps finance the international distribution of Canadian feature films, including the promotional campaign for theatrical release. | $90,000 | Applications are closed. Stay tuned for future intake announcements. | Company specializing in the theatrical distribution of films. |
| Export-Ready Stream — Creative Export Canada | The Export-Ready Stream (ERS) of the Creative Export Canada (CEC) program offers funding through contributions (not loans) for export-ready projects that generate export revenues and help Canadian creative industries reach more people around the world. | No fixed amount | Applications are closed. Stay tuned for future intake announcements. | Canadian-owned and -controlled, incorporated for-profit or non-profit organization with up to $500M in annual revenue and at least one full-time employee. |
| Export Development Stream — Creative Export Canada | The Export Development Stream (EDS) of the Creative Export Canada (CEC) program offers funding in the form of grants and contributions for new and early-stage exporters to build capacity and expand into international markets and seasoned exporters to expand into new international markets and build business networks. | No fixed amount | Applications are closed. Stay tuned for future intake announcements. | Canadian-owned and -controlled, incorporated for-profit or non-profit organization with up to $500M in annual revenue and at least one full-time employee. |
Federal Exporting Programs for Underrepresented Sectors (Black Canadian, Disabled, Indigenous, Woman)
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| Representation and Promotion Component of Arts Abroad | The Representation and Promotion component of Arts Abroad funds travel linked to the international promotion of Canadian artists and artistic works. | $30,000 | May 14, 2025 | Registered or incorporated Canadian arts organizations to represent Canadian artists and develop their presence internationally, and establish a place for Canadian arts practice in the global arts market. |
| EDC Inclusive Trade Investments Program (ITIP) | EDC invests in companies led or founded by women and/or other diverse management teams who are raising, or have recently raised, equity funding (Seed to Series B funding rounds) to support international growth. | $30,000 | Continuous Intake | Canadian company with diverse C-suite leadership (e.g. women, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2+, or persons with disabilities) holding equitable ownership, growing toward $500K in revenue with strong export potential, and committed to building a diverse board. |
Ontario Tariff Programs
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| Ontario Together Trade Fund | The Ontario Together Trade Fund (OTTF) provides financial support to help businesses near-term investments so they can serve more interprovincial customers, develop new markets and re-shore critical supply chains in the face of U.S. tariffs. | $5,000,000 | Continuous Intake | Businesses must operate in Ontario, have at least three years of financial statements, employ a minimum of 5 full-time staff, and show impact from U.S. tariffs. |
| Surplus rebate for businesses | The Ontario Government will return over $2.5 billion to workers and businesses by rebating WSIB surpluses, reducing business premium rates, and investing in worker health and safety. This includes distributing $2 billion to eligible Schedule 1 businesses in early 2025 and providing an additional $2 billion in surplus rebates this spring to support businesses during ongoing economic uncertainty, while maintaining strong support for injured workers. | No fixed amount | Continuous Intake | Applicants must have an active WSIB account with premium obligations as of November 1, 2024, and have had premium obligations in 2023. |
Ontario Exporting Programs
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| Business advisory services for small and medium-sized businesses | Advisory services for small and medium-sized businesses offering guidance and referrals to support business growth, including technology adoption and export readiness programs. | No funding involved | Continuous Intake | Ontario small and medium-sized businesse |
| Eastern Ontario Development Fund | The program supports eligible small- and medium-sized businesses investing in new equipment and training to expand operations in these regions, and also provides support to municipalities and economic development organizations investing in economic development projects | $5,000,000 | May 21, 2025 | Businesses, municipalities, and economic development organizations for economic, development in eastern Ontario |
| Southwestern Ontario Development Fund | The program supports eligible small- and medium-sized businesses investing in new equipment and training to expand operations in these regions, and also provides support to municipalities and economic development organizations investing in economic development projects | $5,000,000 | May 21, 2025 | Businesses, municipalities and economic development organizations for economic development in southwestern Ontario |
Ontario Exporting Programs for Agriculture & Agrifood
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| Grow Ontario Market Initiative | The Grow Ontario Market Initiative provides funding to primary producers, processors and industry organizations to find and develop domestic or export market opportunities. | $125,000 | Applications are closed. Stay tuned for future intake announcements. | Primary Producers, Processors and Industry Organizations |
Ontario Exporting Programs for Manufacturing Industry
| Name | Description | Amount | Deadline | Eligibility |
| Regional Development Program: Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness Stream | The Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Competitiveness (AMIC) Stream will provide financial support to advanced manufacturing companies with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises across Ontario | $5,000,000 | Applications are closed. Stay tuned for future intake announcements. | Advanced manufacturing companies across Ontario. |
Useful Tariffs Resources
This section features key resources provided by the Canadian federal government to assist businesses in navigating tariffs, customs regulations, and international procurement opportunities.
The Canada Tariff Finder is a free online tool designed to help Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs quickly access up-to-date customs tariff information for importing and exporting goods between Canada and countries with which it has Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Users can input product descriptions or Harmonized System (HS) codes to retrieve current and future tariff rates, compare tariffs across multiple countries or products, and receive results instantly via print or email.
Tariff information and Harmonized System (HS) codes
The “Tariff Information and Harmonized System (HS) Codes” page from Global Affairs Canada helps exporters find HS codes and understand foreign customs tariffs. It explains the HS system, links to tools like the Canadian Export Classification and the Canada Tariff Finder, and offers resources for determining tariffs. Support is available through Global Affairs Canada’s Tariff and Goods Market Access Division.
The Global Bid Opportunity Finder (GBOF) is a free online platform developed by the Canadian Commercial Corporation to assist Canadian businesses in discovering public sector procurement opportunities worldwide. Aggregating over 5,000 new tenders daily from more than 40 sources across 200 jurisdictions, GBOF enables users to search and filter opportunities by sector, location, and other criteria. Exclusively available to Canadian companies, the tool supports businesses of all sizes in expanding into international markets by simplifying access to foreign government contracts
The Canadian Importers Database, provided by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, offers comprehensive information on companies importing goods into Canada. Users can search for major importers by product (using keywords or HS codes), city, or country of origin. The database includes details such as company names, locations, and postal codes, covering both resident and non-resident importers. It also provides insights into market concentration and import values, aiding businesses and researchers in analyzing Canada’s import landscape.
Industry-specific support
Get tailored support and resources.
- Support for Canadian agriculture and agri-food industries impacted by trade disruptions: Programs to help you manage financial challenges and market disruptions caused by new tariffs imposed by other governments.
- Agriculture and agri-food trade between Canada and the United States: Key resources and information for the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector regarding the bilateral trade situation.
- Forest sector funding programs: Federal funding programs supported by the Canadian Forest Service help diversify forest products, markets and processes to support the competitiveness of Canada’s forest sector.
Related Funding Resources for Ontario Entrepreneurs
💰 Funding a Business in Ontario
💼 Business Support Organizations in Ontario