Ontario will fight back if New York state legislators adopt Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “Buy American” policy in a vote Friday, warns Premier Kathleen Wynne.

“Ontario is the biggest export market for New York,” Wynne said Thursday, recounting last week’s trip by Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid and International Trade Minister Michael Chan to lobby politicians in the Empire State.

“While we’re encouraged by the response that the ministers received in Albany, and we’re hopeful that New York state will make the right decision tomorrow, we are considering all reasonable options to protect Ontario jobs in the face of Buy American policies.”

Ontario is seeking an exemption to Cuomo’s “Buy American” effort for procurements of goods and services.

The policy would require the state government and related agencies to give preference to American-made goods and products in new contracts worth more than $100,000.

Duguid, who was with Wynne in Windsor for a Ford engine plant announcement, said Cuomo’s policy hurt Ontario construction, infrastructure, information technology, communications and service companies along with manufacturers.

He noted Alstom, a French transit company that manufactures light rail vehicles in New York state, and which has a contract with the city of Ottawa, could be just one of many victims should Ontario retaliate in the event “Buy American” is passed.

“New York state businesses do a considerable amount of procurement in Ontario,” Duguid told reporters, pointing to Ontario’s infrastructure plan for transit, highway and other improvements.

“We’ve got $160 billion of investment coming in the next 12 years and I would expect New York companies are going to want to have access to that.”

Wynne maintained that New York and Ontario will both lose if Cuomo’s plan is approved.

As neighbours, the two jurisdictions “benefit enormously from a strong and integrated partnership that supports good jobs on both sides of the border,” Wynne said.

“This just isn’t a competitive advantage for our province.”

Trade with Ontario accounts for $10 billion a year, roughly 80 per cent of New York’s exports to Canada, while Ontario companies doing $12 billion worth of business in the state.

The lobbying efforts by Wynne, Duguid and Chan have been part of a broader campaign as the Canadian government and provinces do their best to counter a protectionist mood in the U.S. since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump with his slogan “Make America Great Again.”

Wynne said the federal and Quebec governments have joined Ontario in presenting a “united front” to keep Canadian concerns on the agenda with legislators in Albany this week.

In addition, Ontario has hired John Gero, an international trade expert and former Canadian ambassador to the World Trade Organization and chair of its general council, to act as the province’s special adviser on trade issues.

Wynne said she will “continue to reach out” to governors of 27 states that count Ontario as their best or second-best export customer in hopes of keeping trade lanes open.

She cited a recent memorandum of understanding with Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to jointly develop emerging technology initiatives in the auto industry.

“We both understand that integration of our economies menas that we are both more competitive.”

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The premier said she’ll be travelling to Rhode Island in July for the annual meeting of the National Governors Association to keep a dialogue going with her U.S. counterparts.

“At the end of the day, these trading relationships create good jobs for the people of Ontario … but they also create good jobs for people in the United States,” Wynne added.

“I’m going to stand up for open borders so that we can get our goods to market, so that we can import U.S. goods.”

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