Toronto, April 7, 2025 – The Ontario government’s announcement to defer certain provincial taxes for six months and provide another $2B in Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) surplus funds to eligible Ontario businesses is welcome news to our members struggling with the far-reaching impacts of the U.S./Canada trade war.
Today, the Ontario government kept two of its most important campaign commitments on tariff mitigation to help small businesses. The measures come at a time when our members need them most to deal with higher costs for goods and supplies, chronic lack of demand, and historically low confidence levels that are negatively affecting hiring plans.
The additional $2B in WSIB surplus funds relief is particularly good news for our members. It will allow business owners to invest in their employees and their operations, without jeopardizing the board’s strong financial health. On top of legislation that determines how and when surplus funds are distributed to eligible businesses, WSIB policy aims to keep the board’s funding level within the target range of 110-120%.
The U.S./Canada trade war is affecting businesses of all sizes. Over 8 in 10 Ontario small businesses are directly or indirectly involved in importing or exporting goods to/from the United States.
- Julie Kwiecinski, Director of Provincial Affairs (Ontario)
For media inquiries or interviews, please contact:
Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, CFIB
647-464-2814
public.affairs@cfib.ca
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small- and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members across every industry and region, including 39,000 in Ontario. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.
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